SYDNEY SHEEP SALES.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 285, 21 July 1908, Page 6

SYDNEY SHEEP SALES.

Mr H. R. Cornford, manager for Mr A. Harding, of Siberia, Ashhurst, who has just returned from the Sydney wool sale®] told a “ New Zealand Times ” reporter ■that - New New South - Wales' breeders had yet a lot to learn regarding Romneys. Sheep which had won awards at the show would not be regarded as decent “ flocks ”in this country. In one line of a breeder’s sheep, which averaged a guinea and a quarter, fully fifty per cent had horns—not stumps, but fully developed merino horns. Then the local Romneys were small sheep in practically every case, with short, fuzzy wool. Everything, in fact, pointed to their having a large proportion of merino in their make-up. The New Zealand Romneys were fairly good, rather better than seen on previous occasions. These were, of course, all flock sheep, and were all put up in pens of five. Thee prices realised were fairly satisfactory. The champion Border-Leicester ram at the show was put up and sold at sgs. It was a sheep which would not be used in a New Zealand flock. He had Romney wool on his neck and showed fully an inch of “ tip ” all over. His legs were brown and he had a badly mottled muzzle. Generally a very poor description, of a Border, and in strong contrast to the New Zealand Borders offered for sale.

They know a little more of Lincolns. The Tasmanian sheep were all right. They were typical of the breed, and even in this country would be regarded as good specimens. The New South Wales Lincolns offered for sale, however, were a nondescript lot. Some good New Zealand Lincolns were offered on account of Mr Eber Barriball, of Auckland. The 32

rams averaged £3 13s 6d, and were dirt cheap at the money. The same breeder’s pen of ewes averaged £2 19s. The New Zealand English Leicesters sold at about half the price realised last year, and the best sheep did not bring the best money. One of the poorest lines, a coarse wool type almost resembling a Lincoln, made good money, while typical English Leicesters reached considerably less. In this breed, as in the other long wools, quality was at a discount. New South Wales sheep meh were evidently greatly impressed with the New Zealand Corriedales, but the prices realised were not Satisfactory. They were decidedly good sheep and yet the rams only averafed £3 Is 6d,„ while a local breeder.secured 3gs. for a small line of what he called Duxdale Corriedales, which had all the appearance of being a cross betwoen a Romney and a blackface. The New Zealanders generally did not come out of the sales at all well. The prices realised were on the whole only about half of what they were at the previous year’s sale, and the quality was better. This was due to the drought experienced in several of the more important sheep districts.

The merino flocks also suffered from the same cause. It was only a few of the merino studs which made big money. The most unsatisfactory thing about the sales is that the Australians do not know what a good long wool is and it will be some time before it will pay New Zealanders to take really good sheep over.