THE ROMNEY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9613, 6 October 1909, Page 6

THE ROMNEY.

ORIGIN OF THE BREED IN NOKTH ISLAND. SOME INTERESTING REMARKS. In the course of an address on Romney Marsh sheep, befora pupils of the woolelassing classes of the Masterton Technical School and prominent breeders of the district, Mr A. Matthews, the well-known Romney Marsh breeder, of Waiorongomai, Western Lake, Featherston, who is probably the authority in the Dominion on that particular breed of sheep, made some interesting remarks on the origin of the breed in the North Island of New Zealanl. "Moat of our Romney Marsh sheep," said Mr Matthews, have been bred up from Merino ewes as until ths last few years scarcely any purebred ewes were impurted. The early settlers selected their sheep runs along the coast line or on the banks of riven in order to obtain water carriage for their wool to the nearest shipping port, there being no roads or bridges in those days. The sheep introduced trom Australia were Merinos, and probably the most useful breed for settlers' pur- ' poses, when one took into considera • tion the rough condition of the country at that time. It required a light sheep to climb the rough* and sleep hills of the coast, and to travel to the Wellington market over the Coast tracks. About the year 1856 a Mr Leonard Young imported two or three Romney Marsh ewes from England, which after running for some time at Porirua, on Mr Drake's property, passed into the hands of the late Mr Alfred Ludlam. Mr Ludlam obtained some Merino ewes from Dr Hildebrand of this district, and by using imported Romney Marsh rams started his flock at Waiwetu. In a few years he was able to supply settlers with crossbred rams and they were soon used largely among the Merino ewes. Foot rot about this time became such a serious trouble among Merino flocks that settlers became very anxious to use coarse woolled sheep. About 1874 Mr Ludlam's flock was dispersed, and most of the ewes sold were fourth, fifth and sixth cross ewes and a comparatively small number of purebred sheep, a few very good imported rams being among them. For some time after the flock was disposed of there was some difficulty in obtaining purebred rams, and in many cases rams no purer than the ewes were used with the result that no progress was made in obtaining purity of breed. This difficulty was got over later on by the importation of both Romney Marsh ewes and rams from Kent, which have had the effect of imparting more of the true Romney character. I have often found sheep in the showyards carrying beautiful fine wool, but deficient in most of the characteristic features of a true Romney Marsh, the wool having the fineness of a Merino, but not that of a long-woolled oheep." Mr Matthews is a firm believer in ' purity of breed in the Romney, and has extensively imported valuable animals from England for years past, bavins laid a foundation for purhy j of bree! which few Romney flocks in Australasia can lay claim to. '