AMERICAN SHEEP AND SHEEP SHEARING.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1108, 5 November 1883, Page 3

AMERICAN SHEEP AND SHEEP SHEARING.

The Tjohdon Agricultural Gazette of a' recent,,date thus : expresses itself on ■ n report -which appeared in the National Live- Stock Journal of Chicago The report "is so terse and to the point that we borrow it in full —*‘At the public shearing of the Arkansas Valley Wool Growers’ Association, held at Wichita, Kns,. on April 21st, 1883, the exhibit of sheep )vas Very fine, both in. the Longwool and Finewpol classes. The interest surpassed that of any previous j’enr. Three Merino rams (whose agregato weight was 4061b 12oz), yielded 95U> 12oz of wool. The merino ewes weighing 1891b 12oz) yielded 501b 12oz of wool. Heaviest fleece shorn, Rip Van Winkle, 331b 3oz ; the heaviest ewe fleece, Lady Banker, -211b 4oz. This ewe has a lamb by her side. Heaviest Cotswold fleece, ram, Kolchi, 181b 4oz; heaviest Cotswold carcase, Kelchi, 1691b 4oz ; heaviest merino carcase, Prince Albert,

1451b 12oz ; heaviest merino ewe carcase;, 1441b Boz. Lightest fleece, a black Mexican ewe, 6 years old, 31b 4oa. fler lamb; a cross with, an ordinarj’ merino ram, sheared 4>b 12oz, or nearly 50 per cent, more than the dam, the wbolbcing a good quality of light, medium wool. • The season being backward, and the grease not being brought out Ifito the; wool, the fleeces were lighter, than (hey otherwise would have. beep.' One iking togsparticularly noticeable , namely, .ike bright, clean condition of the wool, showing a marked improvement in this respect over former years.’ How often is it in the power of an English reporter to furnish Ids reader with any information so precise and seviccablo ns this is ? The sentence we give in italics .deserves notice in a country like ours,.'where the sheep pens at a Royal show look as many coloured as a Turkey carpet, without a word of .remonstrance from the show managers. ; Xu the humble hope that ‘lt is never too lafc to mend ’—even what was once called ‘ our British arrogance’—and that for once wc .may condescend to take a hint ont’of Brother Jonathan’s practice, and he; at least is willing, to .discourage false - appearances as he is, these American clippings are inserted in. (ho London Agricultural. Gazette” •