NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1561, 5 March 1887, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Christchurch, Nov. 3. To-day the firing for the Nelson Match for Carbine Belt only, 300 and 500 yards, ten shots at each distance, was concluded. The following are the prizetakers :—Sergt. Parslow (74 points), £10; Gunner McCorkindale, £7 ; Lieut. Davey, £6; Gunner Webster, £5; Gunner Wooley apd C?u?jner Begg, £4 each; Gunner McGregor, £3; Lieut. Rule, £2 ; Lieut Ross (64 points), Seaman Thorburn, Gunner Morris, Gunner Lumsden, Gunner Drummond, Gunner Williams, Sergt-Major Sinclair, Corporal Williams, and Gunner Bowe (61 poipts), £1 each. The Christchurch Citizens' Match for rifle or'.carbine belts ; 2f)o, 300 and 50$ yards ; seven shots aj> each distance, open to all members of the Association, Snider rifles or carbines of Government issue, was commenced, but only the first stages were got through.

A! ANAGEMENT OF BREEDING EWES. I would draw attention (says " A Practical Farmer " in the Agricultural Gazette) to the important subject of the treatment of breeding «wes during the period of gestation. Any abuse to the auimal at this time me»ns a very serious loss to the owner. Among the numerous modes of abuse we note : 1. Improper dieting. 2. Insufficient food. 3. Want of regular exercise. 4. Too much crowding and knocking about when close to lambing. 5. Over-feeding before lambing. 6. Dogging or startling ewes by a careless shepherd. As lambing approaches you want carefully to avoid too high condition, and yet to guard against poverty. If I think my ewes too fleshy, 1 rather stint them than otherwise for nbout a week before lambing. To any which are undoubtedly too fat, I give a dose of opening medicir.e, may be three days before we expect thpm to lamb ; it reduces the liability to inflammation and straining. After the ewe h<ts quite recovered from the effects of lambing aad is out of danger, I believe the better you feed the better results you will have in the lamb. One great difficulty I bad with my shepherd at first was to keep him from overfeeding the ewe from the time she had recovered from what 1 would call the labor. No sooner had she satisfied herself with her lamb thun he began to give her all manner of good thiDgs. This is a great error (and my herd saw ii). Until six or seven days are over I don't ihink danger is past. You don't want a bursting udder for two newly-born lambs, much less for oue ; you only cause uneasiness to the ewe, and if you don't hand milk in such a case the ewe may go in the wrong direction. Ewes treated on this system will drop the cf lambs, big and strong and healthy, a good color, full of firm flesh, able to stand exposure almost at ODce —you will have no little whit's cripples and no nursirjg to do, not warm' ing at the fira ; that is, comparatively speaking, your ewes will get over this trouble easily, and your skin buyer will nrf find his prfsence required as much as when he visited you in the four-course days.