Oct. 2, ]908.] Agricultu7ml Gazette of N.S.W. 819 



the Lincoln-Merino so far has proved the best wool cutter of all tliat have 

 been tried here, with the Roniney Marsh and Suffolk Down c](jse together next; 

 both the Border Leicester and English Leicester are shaping well in the wool 

 line, but have not been tried long enough here for comjjarisons. The pjoint 

 is, the breeding ewes should have their wool taken into consideration, but not 

 at the expense altogether of their carcases. 



Weight of Lambs at Four Months Old. 



The Suffolk-Merino in the first crosses over four years trials are, on the 

 average, the heaviest, with the Ronuiey-Merino second. 



In the second crosses, so far, the Romney x SufFolk-Merino and the Shrop- 

 shire X Lincoln-Merino are very close together ; on the average the Romney x 

 Sufiblk-Merino are the heavier. Neither of the crosses, however, in shape 

 antl (][uality are comparable with the Southdown x Lincoln- Mer-ino or the 

 Border Leicester x Sutfblk-Merino. The latter have such splendid backs and 

 well sprung ribs ; the former Southdown x Lincoln-Merino are chubby, short- 

 legged, and compact — a butcher's lamb all over ; but the weights. are not as- 

 good at the age as the cross mentioned before them. 



Now, all the breeds are good when suitably mated and able to adapt the n- 

 selves to their environments. What does best generally pays best, and ch 

 will probably have a place in the varied climatic and soil conditions of our 

 State. 



The mutton and lamb trade is a most important one, and the farmer must 

 consider what the trade wants ; and it is evident it is not the pure merino, 

 and th(^ latter is not the small farmers' nor the lamb-raisers' sheep. Why t 

 The cross-bred lamb for freezing is worth about Id. per lb. more than merino 

 lamb ; the pelts of crossbred are worth fully twice as much, and the wool at 

 auction in many cases fetches as much as merino. 



Some people think that lamb and mutton, no matter how well chilled or 

 frozen, cannot compete against home-killed meat in England. Well, if the 

 report of an eminent authority, Mr. Samuel Rideal, is to be believed, this, 

 conception is clearly erroneous. The report is as follows : — 



II.— Lamb and Mutton. 



The second part of this inquiry deals with the relative value of hard-frozen Australian 

 laml) and mutton as against home-killed meat. For this purpose Welsh lamb and 

 English mutton wei-e bought at .Smithtield market on the 1st January, 1907, and com- 

 pared with Australian lamb killed early in October, 1906, and with Australian mutton 

 also killed about the same time, but shipped by a different steamer. The particulars of 

 these four joints are as follows : — 



G. —A leg of prime young Welsh lamb, being a cross between the Welsh and Radnor 

 strains, w-eighing about 5 lb., brought to Smithtield market for sale on 1st January, 

 1907. 

 H. — One leg of prime Australian frozen lamb, of the well-known " Champion " brand, 

 weighing about 5i lb. It was shipped by the " Tropic,"' which steamer arrived 

 in London on the 18th December, after a voyage occupying about tifty-two days, 

 during which the meat was kept at a temperature of about '20' Fahr. The lamb- 

 had subseipiently been kept in the Victoria Dock Store, at a temperature of about- 

 16' Fahr. The tab attached to the leg indicated that the lamb was of grade -1 (/.'-., 

 weighing between 42 and 50 lb.), and certified that the carcase was perfectly 

 sound, free from disease, and suitable for human consumption. The lamb was 

 loaded on steamer on October 27th, 1906, and was killed probably about a fort- 

 night or three weeks prior to that date. 



