ROMNEY SHEEP.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1924, Page 4

ROMNEY SHEEP.

A DEFENCE. WELLINGTON', May 0. Something which will cause move than usual discussion has been thrown amongst New Zealand patornlists by a recent pronouncement by Mr F. A. Akroyd, a leading member of the wool trade, and president of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, to the effect that the use of the Romney ram in New Zealand is doing great harm to the wool clip of the Dominion. To this statement Air Alfred Mat-

thews, president of the New Zealand ■Romney Marsh Sheephrceders’ Association makes a spirited reply, which he has just posted Home. He says; •‘.Some time ago, when Mr Massey. Prime Minister, was in England, he paid it visit to Bradford and incidenli'llv came in contact with Mr F. A. ,Ykn tyil, ;t gentleman with large interests in tho woollen trade, as well as being a breeder of the Wenslevdale sheep. Mr Akroyd is reported as having made a sweeping statement with regard to the bad effects on the New Zealand wool clip caused hv the use.of the Romney Marsh ram. He made further reference to this matter in the

“Wood Record” of March, a paper which is published in Bradford. We will admit that Air Akroyd is an expert in the wool and manufacturing trade, but he has proved by his statement that he knows very little. if anything, about the growing end, more especially in New Zealand. His statements about New Zealand Romney are not founded on fact, and arc not only misleading IniL damaging. The foremost breeders of Romney Alarslt sheep in New Zealand are well aware of tin; value to the manufacturer of good quality, soft handing wool, with crimp, lustre and length of staple, containing no kemp.s of dead fibres, and the whole lleece even in length and quality. We claim without fear of contradiction that they have succeeded in producing Hocks of purebred Romney Marsh sheep growing wool of the above character, and this has been done bv selection and not by any crossing with another breed. There are many large Hocks of sheep bred from rams carrying wool of the above type, on which die brokers' report, and the prices realised are everything one could wish for. The wools ol this class are termed ‘‘American wools” by the New Zealand brokers because Americans purchase them largely, and usually outbid the English buyers. Air C. Al. Retry spent a month in Air Akroyd’.-. factory learning wool classing. ami stales that. ‘■The Romney breed does not get credit there for producing high class wcols. but they are classed as Leicestef-Alerino or probably Romncy-Alerino. the pure Romney not getting credit for growing such wools.” The following statement made by Professor ('assart Kwait, a noted authority on sheep breeding, when recently in New Zealand may be quoted: •Tile only other breed 1 went specially til see was the Romneys stud it seems to me partly changed surroundings and partly by very careful bleeding the

.-out of tile Romney lots been immensely improved and the wool is much finer than is the case with the English Romney sheep. The Wool I exit mined was purer, that is, the wool fibre, hut was comparatively coarse. Again the fibres of the wool 1 halo* -cot: this lime are distinctly liner than the fibres of wool taken front sheep lour or five years ago. That indicates that hv selection. apart altogether from other considerations, the Romney is being improved. I think the improvement has consisted of getting rid of any tra'e of the Lincoln. Romney wool Is better than it was some years ago, a fo-tlll that lias been arrived at not by crossing but bv selection.” Had Mr Akmytl taken up the attitudp that there was a greater proportion of second class wool coming from New Zealand than mcviously. and not tried to give the rivsiuts why and how in lentedy it. be would have been in uitt'lt sounder lint".. It lias been recognised by wool men in New Zealand that there is mine second class mail being produced ilia:, there should.

One of tin- causes of this, no doubt, was tin- valuation sy-teni uno-i the -iiiiiihiimlkt. when tln-ie was nmli a small 11 -:cr,• i ll hot ween high and Jow grade v.e.ols that breeders became careless about (pialily and bred solely i'o-' weight and qmmliiy. Eoaimys wore first impelled int-i Xew Zealand over seventy years ago. and on account of their bardilioc.il and suitability for general purl uses hat e now become the most popular breed as ibe enormous inert a-o in numbers a.s compared with all other bleeds | roves. New Zealand is n young country and sheep funnels aie continually on iln- increase, and this fact does, not lend towards iniprovcinenl in tb ( . wool clip, as many of the new bleeders have no knowledge of what ((institutes good wool. Mr Akrovd has siinntdv n-i-iuniuended the

11 -i- of AVi-nsleydale sheep, and lieie again he proves his iguoialiie of Xew Zealand coinlit inns, as they are too thin and open in the wool |o stand tin- j-ain-fnll of this country, in which llie Romney thrives, and further they are ion leggy for the Xew Zealand frozen mutton trade. Lincoln sheep, which were hugely ii-rd at one time here, a somewhat similar breed to the M’c-iisloydale. have been superseded by Romney childly owing to climatic conditions and because < f ibe latter’s unsuitability for nearly all classes of loiintrv.