THE RIGHT SHEEP TO BREED

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3213, 28 June 1892, Page 2

THE RIGHT SHEEP TO BREED

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—A very interesting and important question is being discussed at the present time in the "Farmer" and in your own most useful paper. Being an interested party, I do not like taking a part in it, but the question put by your correspondent, " Mutton "—What sort of sheep we ought to breed 1 or what shall be our standard of excellence ?—is an important question which affects the whole colony. Mr McNicol's letter bristled with facts in support of the opinions generally held in this district, and no one has controverted his facts. The Merino and the Merino-Lincoln (Crossbred) wool has made this colony known to all the world, and their flesh also being of excellent quality, they are bound to be bred by the majority of breeders throughout "the colony, certainly so long as the sheep of the country are fed on runs and partially • divided runs—commonly called farms in New Zealand. When these lands are properly sub-divided and put under a four or five course system, whereby a considerable portion of the land is turned over by the plough each year, then, and not until then, will the lightfooted aud light-woolled sheep advocated by " Mnt,ton "be reared and fed profitably on our Ifinds. This writer advocates the use of the Downs —whether he 13, or is not a breeder I do not know —but I hope for his own sake, that he goes in for what is called high-class farming. Now let me examine into his facts and figures which he gives in support of his contention : 1. He asserts that in England the Downs are successfully invading Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, the strongholds of the Longwools, partially I allow that is so on arable farms ; I will | go further and even say with advantage, i Now let us look for the cause. For nigh upon a thousand years, Britain has been celebrated for the production of two very superior classes of wool—one produced by tha South Down; the other, a fine combing wool produced by the Lincoln. There were several other breeds of sheep, of couree in Britain ; but from these two noble varieties have come the high qualities of the many varieties of longwool and shortwoolled sheep, now allowed separate classes at the Royal Agricultural Show. Within the last century almost every county has by the use of the South Down, the Leicester and the Lincoln improved its own variety of sheep. Within this century also the style of farming in each of these counties has gone on steadily improving under the influence of science, capital and population, and the lands which until some 50 or 00 years ago were covered with grass (the same as our own lands), have been broken up. with the plough, drained, limed and brought under with a four or five course system of farming, and whereby the sheep of the farm are fed seven or more months of the year; not on permanent pastures, but upon artificial crops of one kind or another, for , which purpose the light-footed and shorter wooled varieties of sheep are the most serviceable. This fact, together with the ever-increasing papulation, causes the carease more than the wool to be held of most importance. " Mutton," in support of his argument, states that at the Royal show at Warwick the Lincolns had only four classes and two judges, while the Down breeds had nineteen classes and ten judges; and again, at Doncaster, Lincolns. 57 sheep, Downs 352. I cannot see that this quotation from the Royal Agricultural Society Journal proves anything, there being five classes ot both long and short-wooled sheep, viz., Leicesters, Lincolns, Cotswolds, Romneys and Border Leicesters —longwools; South Down, Hampshire Down, Shropshire Down, Oxford Down and Suffolk Down—short-wools. To put one longwool against five short-wooled is unintentionally misleading. Now for figures : Jones starts with a flock of 200 Lincoln ewes, and Smith with 250 Down ewes ; of what variety is not stated. Smith's Downs prosper gradually, and always have 125 por cent ot lambs, which are always early, or they mature early, and bring 12s per head; whereas, poor Jones' ewes are doomed from the start. They never have more than 100 per cent of lambs, which, being late, are sold at 8s a head. By these means Smith is made an easy winner. Now, Sir, I contend that these figures are purely imaginary fancies—not facts. All Dawn flocks do not always yield 125 per cent of lambs, neither in this country or in England, and all Lincoln flocks are not so ungenerous as poor Jones'. My own Lincoln flock has produced an average crop of about 120 per centf and other breeders, I believe, have had similar results. Others again possessing crossbred LincolnMerino have had over 130 per cent increase, and with both breeds of sheep there will be both early and late lambs, and some that will fatten earlier than others; therefore, I coutend that this amusing calculation has no bottom to it. I must not trespass too much, Sir, on your space; therefore, I will leave the question of " freezers" untouched. —Yours truly, Saml. Thos. Seddon. Knighton, Hamilton. June 23rd, 1892.