DOWN V. LINCOLN SHEEP.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2416, 25 October 1892, Page 3

DOWN V. LINCOLN SHEEP.

There has been much discussion amongst sheep-farmers of late on the subject of the rival merits of the Down and the Lincoln breeds of sheep. The New Zealand Farmer has strongly advocated the claims to greater attention of the Down breeds of sheep in connection with the frozen mutton/ trade. In the October number that journal points out that out of a shipment of 1212 sheep of various breeds purchased in England in July last, for leading breeders in the United States and Canada no less than 989 of the lot were Shropshire Downs. We think, says the Farmer, this fact is worth notice as showing the direction in which the opinion of leading breeders is running with regard to breeding for wool and mutton. We are not afraid that New Zealand flock-owners of experience and knowledge will fail to keep themselves abreast of the times in this matter, refusing to move out of old lines. But there are many who require to learn that the ideas of some little local oracle are not infallible upon the wisdom or otherwise of new departures in sheep-breeding. The frozen mutton trade has turned things a bit upside down in sheep-farmjng, ; and some people refuse to see the new order of things as they really are. It is quite clear that for the future the value of the earcise as prime mutton will be at least as important to the colonial flock owner, from the point of view of profit and loss, as the qnantity and quality of the fleece of a sheep."—Auckland Star,