Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1911. SHEEP IN CANADA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10158, 3 January 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1911. SHEEP IN CANADA.

The special correspondent of the Press, writing on agriculture in Canada, and discussing the prospects of sheep farming there, I says a point of some interest to New Zealand is as to how far slieepraising is likely to be carried out with success.' It is characteristic of the thoroughness- with which , the Canadian-Pacific railway does its work that one of its authorities at I Calgary was .ablq to place before the correspondent the office , file on this subject, which included a , report by a New Zealand pasioralist, Mr Foster Mill, of Otago. This_ gentleman stated that the soil in Alb- ! erta is for the most part of an &lka- • line nature, and in . Australia and New Zealand the soundest sheep country is found on-soils of tliis nature. He thought the' "short grass country'* of Alberta exactly suited for sheep. He added that the blizzards in* spring*were the most, serious proposition which.., the sheepfarmer had to face, but pointed out that sheepfarming was carried out in the Mackenzie Country .in NewZealand, although there were at' times hehvy losses from snowstorms, while in Australia the industry flourished in spite of droughts. On the whole he thought the extra price of mutton in Canada would .compensate for the risks from blizzards. Mr Petersen', the company's commissioner of lands at Calgary, who has given a good deal of attention'to the subject, says that already slieep farming , is showing steady expansion, and he is evidently a believer in its future. "Sheep ranching" is at present confined entirely' to" Southern Alberta and West Saskatchewan, the foundation stock being mainly merinos, Lincolns and Slrropshires being used for crossing. The flocks vary from 2000 to 2300. A resident of Alberta who had lived for about 25 years in the district, stated that the: merino wool raised there is of exceptionally fine quality, and now that the country' is being fenced and divided, lie had no doubt, there would be a great devel-. opment of the industry. Doubtless more attention will be given to sheep as the country becomes more developed, and settlers give their attention to mixed farming, but Australia firid : New Zealand need not v " fear ■ much competition from Canada in this direction.