CROSSING SHEEP.

Patea Mail, 30 November 1880, Page 4

CROSSING SHEEP.

Mr W. Moody, of Timarn, says : 11 The little experience I have liad in crossing back towards Merino from longwooled crosses is at the service of those interested in the subject. The stock upon which this crossing back was tried was raised in the usual way from Merino ewes by Leicester rams, and the Leicester strain continued until they arrived at all sorts of decimal fractions, somewhere near the neighbourhood of purity. The ewes were well grown and raised on English grass. Dissatisfied with the result for the following reasons : —lst. No commensurate increase in weight of wool, as thelongwool strain predominated. 2nd. Increasing tenderness of constitution. 3rd. Undesirable tendencies towards speedy mortality, when they turned on their backs and were unable to rise unless assisted, involving an amount of care and watchfulness which may suit the little flocks of farmers in the Old Country, but too expensive for the size of flocks in New Zealand at the rate and of the quality of labour current here. 4th. Never ending consumption of grass compared with smaller sheep in similar fat condition. (In this I am certain from oft repeated observation that 2i sheep of Merino or first-cross in the dead of winter would leave the pasture no more bare than two of the heavier breed per acre.) sth, Crossness of carcase and probable unsaleableness for household use, as compared with lighter sheep of from 501b to 601b weight. These were the reasons of dissatisfaction with what I had ; and having seen,

in 1873, a cross raised by Mr George Scott, of Waitepekn, near Balclutha, from a few pure Leceister ewes and a pure Merino ram, I decided on trying back, and found the trial satisfactory. The return in appearance to the Merino type was remarkable, the lambs showing clearly the impress of the prepotent breed. I continued the system three seasons, and the following was the percentage of lambs:—lol, 105, and 118 per cent. The number of lambs each season was about two thousand, so that a fair enough trial was given. The great majority of these lambs were similar in quality and style of wool, resembling ranch the first cross when the merino character predominates. I do not think it can bo bettor described than by calling it a strong course merino wool. I cannot say that there was much difference in the weight of the fleeces over any other sort fed under similar conditions. There were some lambs which showed their longwool pedigree plainly, but in 2000 there would not exceed 150 which would require culling out on that account. It is to me a matter of regret that I could not follow out (as was ray intention) the line of breeding, still going merino-wards, because in forming a pure merino flock I could not risk the breeding of two flocks on the same property. From the results I have seen, however, I do not hesitate asserting that for ordinary purposes the settlor could not raise a more useful hardy, profitable sheep—as capable of surviving the :c last straw,” or appreciating good treatment, as any other sort.