IMPORTATION OF PURE-BRED LINCOLNS.

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 288, 17 March 1874, Page 2

IMPORTATION OF PURE-BRED LINCOLNS.

Some short timo back, it will be remembered, that the Hon Win. llobinso'ii imported to the province by the Cissy a number of valuable sheep. Owing, however, to the prevalence at that time in England of the foot and mouth disease, the landing of these animals was prohibited, and they wer© deitroyed' by order of the Government. When in Melbourne in September of la»fc»year Mr Robinson telegraphed to hk agents in England to' send out a consignment of Lincoln sheep. There was no limitation as to price and the sheep wertt selected by one of the best judges in England. The order was executed, and the sheep in question shipped on board the Pleiades and Crusader, evory precaution being token to ensure their arriving in Lyttelton in firit-clc*s order, the iheep being provided with knpe-caps and other means to guard against, as far as possible, any accident occurrhisfto t|henj. Ttio shipment consitted of ninety ewes, various .breeders being represented as follows, viz. : twelve by Kirkhnm, twontvfive by Duddmsj, forty-three by W. Back, and ton by A. Hack. The two former breeders have io fully established their uamos throughout the colon ioi as to need no comment in the matter of purity of- blood and high pedigree ; and if the sheep from' the Mesgrt Hack be taken as a fair sampU of their breeding, they also will ioon establish a reputation amongst the flockmastors of the colonies. The number of rams imported is ten, the breeders being Messrs Ku-kham, Clark, Duddinu and Hack, seven of the number coming from the flooke of Messrs Kirkham andDudding. I , The whole of the ewes imported are now lambing down in a paddock ofllle Perry road, having been in lamb when leaving England? They are by tho following high pedigree rams, via., Dudding-, bred by the Messrs Dudding, and sira of the highest priced shearling of the «eason, which realised £126. Volunteer! bred at Biscathorpe, and let by auction in 1564 for £$& realising to its owner m four successive seasons the surii 'of £537. Profit, purchased by Mr C. Clarke, of Scopyiok, for £155 in 1871. The other sires are also well known m tho best home flocks, nnd are of undoubted pedigrrt, notably Old Planton, the sire of Mesirs Dudding's notec*prize two-shears, and sold to Mrßuwell for 200 guineas, ant by Mr Dudding's first-prize ram at Brigg, in 1871, which Jiad a inott remurkable fine coat of lustro woofc As before staled, the ewes are now lambing down, and we yesterday had tie pleasure of inspecting the whole lot. Our inspection fullyioonfirms the judgment of the selection made in England, at they are as fine a lot of sheep as ever came to Canterbury, leing — although selected from various flocki — so even that it is hard to give the palm of superiority to any particular ipeep. The sires of the lambs are Duko and Welford. Duk<U from a Biscathorpe ewe by a- Panton ram, purchased by Moisrs Dudding, and sire of Mr Kirkliam's highest price abparling this seaaon, it realising 120 guineas. Welford is from a Biscathorpo ewe, by a Biscathorpo ram, descended fcore a very famous sire, and stud ram,' bred by J. Topbara, Esj., of Cundlesby Hall, Lincolnshire. There are at present dropped twenty-one lambs, and nearly tbe wholo of tho floplt promise shortly to add to their number. The rams, sown in number, are, though not yet in good fettlo owing to i»© tea voyage, certainly models of symmetry, and after a 6hojt paddocking will, no doubt, ihow to even gi'eater advantage than at present. Those interested in the ' improvement of ( tho breed of sheep will be glad to learn that this valuable consignment arrived without any very large per centago of loss «n- the voyage, though three of the rams and I one of thoewes^ied on the vojageout. Taken all through, tho shipment it certainly the most valuable ever imported to tho province, and will do much towards improving the breed of Lincoln shcip hero. We congratulate, not only Mr Robinson* but tic fiockowners genorally, on the arrival of luoh a valuable Wiipmont.