52 



Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [Jan. 2, 1908. 



total wci^lit (it tlicsc siiiiic wctlicrs nine iiinnths pivviuiisly, with lliri'c and a 

 half iimnlhs" Wddj un 1 hem, was 4(i!> Ih., so that the t real iin'iil ihc.v received 

 during; ihe coni-M' of I he experiment was res])onsihle for a toial shrinkage,, 

 in I heir ease, of alioiil '.Ml Ui. 



]\I r. T. (_'. l)ieksoii, of ■' ^'arrawill," who hred ihe sheep and >ele(Me(| iheni 

 for tlie oxperiinent, kindly coiisented to examine the sheep sliortly liefore its 

 eonipletioii. With i-e,L;ai-d to this experiment, on :^4th »September, lltiic, he: 

 wrote as follows: — " I had the sheep in the yard and ha<l a lkumI look at 

 them. They have altered very nnieh sinee they were tal<en to the farm, and 

 have also altered since last year; the wool iuis grown smaller in the tihre,. 

 and shows a shorter and weaker stai)le. wilhont any increase in quality to 

 make up for the loss in weight. They liave not grown the frame they would 



iifc<**3M!'4*^r. fr^'.^ '*' 



Fig. 3.— Showing ihe pudilock after twelve moiulis spell. 



running on natural pastures. \ cannot undei-stand why they ha\-e !)roiluce(f 

 such a black yolky tip — quite as good a tiji as you see on sheep reared in a 

 cooler climate. I can give no reason why sheep fe(l on natural grasses and 

 hei'hage show a white tip inclined to he fuzzy, while these sheep, ted onl.\' 

 on salthush, show a good tij). Although they have not grown a really pro- 

 fitable fieece, nor produced the carcase of more highly-fed slice]), the experi- 

 ment proves that sheep can he ke]it alive, on salthush only, for a considerable- 

 time — possibly for long enough to tide over a severe period of dry weather, 

 probably at less cost than by expensive means of artificial teeding. The 

 experiment has also shown that salthush can he grown at little cost — at a 

 less cost than any other fodder — in a very dry lime, and is practically 

 drought resisting. I may state that, although the shce|) looked to he in 

 good condition and strong, I do not think they had much vitalit.y of system 

 left, and would not stand the hardshiji travelling sheej) have to go tlirough 

 at times." 



