INSPECTION OF STUD FLOCKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 8

INSPECTION OF STUD FLOCKS.

WHAT THE BORDER LEICESTER * SOCIETY DOES. A MISAPPREHENSION CLEARED UP* AN INTERESTING SYSTEM DESCRIBED.

Some three months ago a usually well* informed correspondent forwarded to us a paragraph, which we published, stating in effect that the Border Leicester Society of Great Britain had adopted a system, of inspection similar to that which was in vogue in New Zealand recently Another correspondent doubted the correctness of this statement, and asked for further particulars as to the kind of inspection which had been adopted.- The matter attracted the attention of a well-known New Zealand sheep* breeder, wJio placet} himself in communication with Mr Robert Wood, secretary of the Society of Border Leicester Shoep-hreedenj. A reply lias now come to hand, and from the letter of Mr Wood, kindly placed at our disposal, we publish the following particulars, which should be of* interest to all sheep-breeders : — "I note what you say about my society going 1 to make inspection of_all entries before they are admitted. I do not understand wihat this means. If it means that all entries are inspected by the Editing Committee before being handed to the publisher, then it is quite. correct ■ This form is gone through to the best of their ability by the Editing Committee, but this does wot MEAN THAT THE SHEEP ABE INSPECTED BEFORE BEING ACCEPTED FOB BEGISTRATION. It only means that the entries written out by myseJf for the printer are inspected. The New Zealand pap^r must have jcot hold of the statement made by the Home papers that the entries for Volume XII had been inspected and passed. For us to attempt the sort of thins; you ore <Joi>vr would not only be absurd, but impracticable. It is left to me to inspeot any flo^- or a private flock book, I may think proper, bufc you see it is not really necessary that we should trouble greatly over this • matter. "We have a perfect system of registration, winch has been in operation ever since the fourth volume was published. There is no new .blood introduced amongst registered 6heep — that k, no registered breeder can buy from an. unregistered flook, so that under the present registration system nothing new can be brought into that which, we* have for all time coming. A registeredbuyer must buy from a registered flock, and anyone wishing to start a new flock must, if he wishes to continue that flock as a registered one, buy from a registered flock, otherwise he could not get into the registered Flock Book. The system of making entries is: The breeder each year selects his best gimmera for the purpose of adding them to his flook. They are tattooed in tiheir ears when lambs with a letter and a figure. Well, then, fee ear® of these selected gimmers. «r» read, and they are entered in. the Flool Book accordingly. The gimmers not required, or not thought good enough, are sold for other purposes. I think as a society we are independent of inspection. You see, no one oan make an entry of a gimmer from & ewe he never had— that is no one can enter a gimmer, say 120 out of a few Gl6, if he has not gofc 6uch a ewe as 616 entered in. the Flock

Book. If such was made it would not be accepted."It will be generally admitted that Mr Wood's letter clears up the matter satisfactorily. Evidently our correspondent in supplying us with the information did mistake the statement "that the entries for Volume XII had been inspected and passed" for 1 an intimation that the sheep to be entered had bsen inspected, whereas all that it was intended to convey was that the applications ' for registration had been inspected and passed, the secretary and Editing Committee having no doubt previously checked the applications to make Bure that tbe stock which it was proposed to register were the produce of registered animals in tbe possession of the applicant.