Sheep-Breeding Records.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 145, 5 April 1909, Page 3

Sheep-Breeding Records.

A flock of about 240 breeding ewes has been kept for some years at the Wisconsin Experiment Station, and during the last five seasons very detailed records have been kept. An analysis and study of these records bring out some"very interesting facts, which appear to be common to all the bteeds kept. The only exception to the latter statement is that Shropshire ewes appear to be more prolific than any other breed. So far as rams are concerned, it was found that lamb rams weighed about half a pound on the average, heavier than ewe lambs at birth; that the age of the ram does not have any effect on the sex of the offspring neither does its size or weight have any effect on either the number or size of the lambs, and that a ram io at his best at from two to three years old. Th<» ow«»<* wm to ->|ay thn most important part in connection with the lambings. Ewes six years old produce the largest percentage of increase, being found to be due to twin lambs, younger ewes being invariably the largest percentage of single lambs. The percentage of ram lambs was found to increase, and the percentage of ewe lambs to decrease, as the age of the ewe advances. The larger and heavier the ewe, the larger and heavier the lambs were found to be, the rams weight and size showing no effect in this respect. With regard to the period of gestation, this was found normally to range from 145 to 151 days, the greatest percentage of ewes lambing 147 days after service. The gestation period was slightly longer for ram lambs than for ewe lambs, and the number of male and female lambs, were about equal, The larger percentage of lambs bom on or about the 147 th day after service were invariably strong; after this time the number of weak and dead lambs increased. The number of days a lamb was carried had no effect on its size, but it wan found that, generally, the production of twins and triplets was detrimental to the strength and vitality at birth of such lambs.

Those who have good cows to dispose of are prepared with a record of their ability as milk producers, and the time is not far distant when it will become a necessity to give a record the same as pedigree, when disposing of cows for the dairy.

Many will have noticed the sly, determined way in which the cow that has been ill-used looks back sideways at the milkers. She shows by every action and the stolid determinatoin of the set eye that she is refusing to "give down her milk. The balance sheet of the Society for the Encouragement of Horse Racing in France shows that the society has distributed in prizes, principally at Paris and Chantilly, the sum of £204,953. Of this total £169,521 was given to the owners of winning horses; owners of horses placed second received £18,233; thirds £11,023; and breeders got £5,234 by way of extra premiums.

Another cereal rapidly coming into the front rank as an Argentine product is barley. From a modest total of 16,672 hectares sown for 1906-7, it has reached something over 150,000 hectares for 1908-9, rather more than double the quantity last year. Crop report* are good, and should all continue to go well, it is expected that at least 50,000 tons will be available for export in the year 1909. From the final issue of the Swiss Industrial Census of August, 1905, it appears that 783,051 persons out- of a total of 1,851,5 for all occupations or 42.3 per cent., were engaged in agriculture in that year. The number is made up of 450,81 males and 332,232 females. The number of undertakings was 257,444 for agriculture, out of a total of 571,498. Presuming than an agricultural undertaking may be regarded as a holding, there are 3.04 persons to a holding.

In the grape-growing districts of Prance fowls are depended upon very largely for ridding the soil of obnoxious grubs. There is one in particular that hi" l played tremendous havoc wit.n the grape industry, and it has been proved that the only really effective method of keeping it within bounds is to heavily stock the land with poultry. Who says the Boers of the Orary. River Colony are not progressive? ,Tbey have abolished the locust bureau because they considered the interference with Nature was an act of Impiety.