CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1595, 29 January 1884, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOB. Sty-Mr ft Pbarazyn's letterwhich appeared in your paper was, as usual, full of sound sense, ■. He. describes the kind of mutton most suitable ;for,-the English table, but does, not say how the New Zealand grazier is to grow it! J will, therefore, venture to do that for him. The best mutton and moat profitable ia the Lincoln, but it must

,be shipped at four-tooth, otherwise it getetop heavy; the flesh at this age s fineVand white-not coarse and beefy like the Romney Marsh at this age. The land required for • Lincolns must be good dry pasture, and poor feed will never do; or if crossed with Merinos a splendid carcase and good wool would be obtained. This breed would suit. for second-class pasture, arid pay the grower well. Thero are laige tracts of country in the Wairarapa that would Buit this kind of sheep. The Romney Marsh; breeders would do well to set apart some of their runs lor the purpose .of breeding this kind of sheep. Now for the Bomney Marsh, so largely grown in the Wairarapa, though nothing.l can say will alter] their opinions; this at all events! they will admit: that Romnoy Marsh' sheepdo not ripen as young as Lincolns, I for it is well known that a Romney at four tooth is tasteless and useless for mutton, and is not fit for the market till six tooth, being a year longer in getting the same weight as the Linooln. > ! The farmer only -gets the wool for a year's grass, besides having to keep a heavier stock, He runs the risk of having Jambs stunted inspring for the want of grass, on account of being over-stocked, but by being able to get rid.'of fat stock one-year sooner enables the farmer to save more money and. bring more land into English grass. Some of the big men in the Wairarapa such as Bidwill and Mathews will say they can turnout fat Romney Marsh at four tooth, but no matter, what they say, Romney Marsh mutton will not fetch as much at that age as good Lincoln will. Leicesters are quite unsuitable for freezing purposes, though the quality of the mutton is good, for the reason that their fat is too tallowy, besides too much in proportion to the lean, South Downs are acknowledged to be the best mutton, but not a paying sheep on account of the smallness of the carcass and wool. . Yours <fec, . Wm, McKeever.