SHROPSHIRE SHEEP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 23

SHROPSHIRE SHEEP.

MEETING OF BREEDERS. > (Fkoh Our Own Cobeespojedent.) LONDON, December 6. On Monday the annual meeting of the Shropshire Sheep Breeders' Association and Flock Book Society was held at Birmingham. The President (Mr Bowen Jones) occupied the chair. Tbe report stated that high prices bad ruled for mutton aad wool throughout the year, and so far as Shropshire^ were con-ce-ned the shipment had been on a huge seale — in fact it had been a record year. Among (ho niosf important markets might be mentioned North America andr Canada, South Aroorica Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, where the breed was niakir.g good headway, and the Shropshire liim was becoming more popular than ever for crossing purposes. During the' year 14-27 Shropshire sheep Had been exported to North America, (U.S.A., Canada, and Newfoundland), 569 to South America (Buenos Aires, Uruguay, Monte- Video, Chili, Peru,

and Brazil). 212 to Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, 45 to South' Africa, Algiers, Algoa Bay, etc., 61 to Russia, Getc many, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Jamaica, Finland, etc. The total number exported was 2314-, compared with 1802 in 1906. Breedera' were reminded that great car« should be taken in keeping pedigrees cnr« reotly, as' foreign buyers were now preois« and particular as. to a properly authenticated lineage. There was no doubt thai breeders -who had the light stamps of Shropshires would meet an ever-increasingf demand Size, pink skins,' and depse wooj of good long staple w_ere the main feature* to keep in view. The sheep stock of the whole world showed a great diminution in numbers, and' there Was" an inclination the world over to take; up more vigorously the breeding of sheep, and this alone woula >help to J:eep' up prices. > 1 The. council recommended^ that a' sum not ' exceeding £100 (to include auction class, £20; £SCt for pens of five shearling rams, arid £15 for two-sheer rams at Newcastle. R.A.S.E.) be set apart in 1903. for the purpose of promoting the interests'- of" Shropshire shcep^ breeders, and making more widely -known the special attributes of the breed, and asked for full discretion as to the means to be adopted^ to further tha , object in view. * , In moving the- adoption of the Teport, the President commented upon the satisfactory nature of the society's finances. With regard to the exports of Shropshire - sheep, ,he_ said found that) year af tct year, -smce^the- records* had \been properly -kept, there" had been, a .gradual -increase. Since the books 'had' been closed, v6so^ more animals had been exported. Sir R. P. Cooper,- in seconding ' the motion, emphasised the importance-, of the pedigree of all breeds beinfc kept. - ,;>