Journal of the Department 

 OF Agriculture. 



Vol. V. OCTOBER, 1922. No. 4. 



Published montlily in Euglish and Afrikaans by the Department of Agriculture, 



Union of South Africa. 



Editor: G. IV. Klerck. 



Subscription: Within the Union and South-West Africa, 5s. (otherwise 6Sm) per 

 annum, post free, payable in advance. 



Applications, with subscriptions, to be sent to the Government 

 Printer, Pretoria. 



NOTES. 



Sheep Breeding for Export. 



I\)ll()\viiij4' articles on the subject written l)y liiiii and published 

 ill the Journal (Auo'ust, 1920, and December, 1920), Mr. liivers,* the 

 otticer in charg'e of the sheep at tlie Potchefstrooni School of Agiicul- 

 lure, has contributed another, published elsewhei'e in this issue, 

 which gives further results of ex])eriniental crossing" at Potchef- 

 strooni, with the object of producing- lamb and mutton for the market. 

 'I'lie article is t)f a very informative nature, and traces the rise of 

 the export trade in frozen meat of Australia and A^ew Zealand, which 

 though subject to reverses and difficulties eventually established itself. 

 Apart from the very practical information the article contains in 

 regard to the cross-breeding of sJieep, its sound advice and review of 

 our position to-day should stimulate every fariner. Reference is 

 made to the natural advantages of South Africa, the stirplus of live 

 stoclc and the low market, and the consecjuent need for improving 

 our sheep breeds so as to secure a share of the world's markets. To 

 this end the introduction of cross-bieeding on the right lines, and 

 a. better system of management and marjceting are recommended; and 

 for this purpose our five million Persians, bastards, and nondescript 

 sheep should be titilized, leaving the other breeds of sheep to supply 

 the better classes of wool. " If we do not improve our methods, the 

 result will be a continued decline in i>i'i<^*es until it will no longer be 

 profitable to raise sheep. This is rapidly coming abmit, and the only 

 way to stop it is to breed sheep suitable for the export trade.'' This 

 is tlie finding of an ofhcer who has keenly studied local and outside 

 conditions, nor can any one doubt that along the lines advocated lies 

 the way to the stabilization of the local nnirket and the expansion of 

 the sheep industry. 



* With deep regret we hiivc to mid liic news o\ ili(> drjitli cf Mr. lliversat Potchefstrooni. 



lu 



