THE RIGHT SHEEP TO BREED.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3099, 26 May 1892, Page 2

THE RIGHT SHEEP TO BREED.

TO THE EDITOR. Sin,—At his last Ohaupo sale, Mr J. McNicol is reported to have called "attention to the advice that was being so freely given to Waikato farmers by would-be authorities on the class of sheep to breed for freezing, and said that perhaps if these men were present and saw these lambs they would hesitate in future to offer advice that results might not perhaps bear out, those lambs being as good for freezing as any cross of Downs, and would beat Downs two to one for value of fleece. His opinion is borne out by the largest breeders and shippers of freezers in Hawke's Bay and Wellington. In future he thought , more attention would be paid to the I Merino owo for breeding freezers, as a cross from them with Lincoln. Leicester or Romney ram was equal to Blackface for freezing and far superior for value of fleece. Farmers instead of being led away by the advice of men who, some of them, are only amateurs, would do better to suit the breed of sheep to the country they ran on, and pounds, shillings and pence result would bear this out.'' In making these remarks, Mr McNicol undoubtedly took upon himself rather a big contract, and it will perhaps be questioned whether that gentleman is a competent or even impartial judge upon the point. Pew will doubt Mr McNicol's ability or integrity as an auctioneer and business man, but the situation is slightly altered when he begins to dictate to men, who were probably breeding sheep before he was born. However, putting this on one side, the position taken up by Mr McNicol with respect to the Lincoln and Merino cross, is so far as Waikato is concerned, quite untenable, if not ridiculous. Take, for instance, the well known results of breeding the Merino ewe with Lincoln ram. This combination produces an ex cellenfc sheep, aud would be largely used only and on this point Mr McNicol shows it remarkable want of knowledge that the Merino is an utter failure upon small farms, and particularly so, when feeding off turnips, which necessitates large numbers being kept on small areas, foot-rot seizing them at once. Yet this is the very point, above all oth?rs, that is required in a typical Waikato sheep. Of what value to us, is the testimony of Hawkes Bay and Wellington breeders, if the same sheep have been proved not to answer here. Again, for the question after all resolves itself into a business one. What object in view have breeders generally, simply, to produce a sheep, or lamb, that is hardy, fattens early, sells at the highest price, and in view of late developments, is most suitable for export, la this case, there seems to be do room lelt for doubt. All those interested in the frozen mutton trade, including shippers, dealers and consumers, have distinctly pointed out, time and again, that the Down with its various crosses is the sheep for them, and that its meat will bring per lb more than that of any other breed. Of course, it may yet turn out that Mr McNicol, though comparatively a young man, knows what the British consumers really require better than they do themselves, but this is scarcely likely. Finally, I would point out that sheepbreeders, generally speaking, are a class of men tolerably wide awako, and who will continue to look to the press for the latest information as to Home requirements, prices, etc. They certainly are not likely to be led so far astray as to act like the •' smart" colonial shipper of mothed apples, who disregarding the repeated advice of London agents, and evidently under the belief that he knew better and could deceive the consumer, sent Home 300 cases, receiving sixpence gross per caae for them.—l am, etc., Sheep Farmer.