Sheep Beeeding for Export. 335 



It will be noticed that the second crosses gave the best results 

 on paper. The average age of the first crosses as compared with the 

 second crosses was not quite equal as they were born on the average 

 a little later. This also applies to the third, fourth, and Merino 

 crosses, which were mostly dropped towards the end of the lambing. 

 The Merino crosses sufl^ered much more from the ticks than the other 

 lambs did, consequently it assisted in retarding their growth, and 

 their average weights suffered accordingly. 



Altogether ten lambs died during the 27 weeks, mostly from 

 being- lost in the thick bushes, when they were heavily struck by the 

 ticks; at least half had Merino blood in them. A few of the third 

 and fourth crosses died mostly from the effects of dipping and from 

 l)eing debilitated from tick poisoning. Out of 129 lambs dropped 119 

 were successfully reared, and, as their weights show, on the 4th of 

 Ai)ril they were fat and fit for the export trade. 



On the 20th April 27 hamel lambs of all grades and 37 mixed 

 hamels and ewes, ranging from IS months to 5 years of age, were 

 sold to a local butcher. The price paid was 25s. Gd. per head all 

 round, which was equal to sixpence per lb. carcass weight, prices 

 on the market being comparatively Ioav. The purchaser gave the 

 following favourable report : — 



" I feel confident that you will be interested in the sheep and 

 lambs I bought from the Experimental Farm. The whole lot killed 

 out very well indeed, there being in a few instances a little too much 

 fat to suit some of my customers, but the fat was nicely distributed 

 all over the carcass, and not, as found in many types of Africander, 

 (mly on the hindquarters and tail. They were also nicely propor- 

 tioned, it being possible to cut nice rib-chops or cutlets right up to 

 the shoulder-blade. Tlie first cross seemed to carry most fat; two 

 hamels of this cross dressed 103 and 93 lb. and only six-tooth age. 



" The average dressed weight of the lambs (although I did not 

 keep any exceptional figures) worked out at 40 lb. and the sheep, 

 although all were not weighed, 64 lb. 



■' I may state that the average South African hamel works out 

 at about 44 lb., and butchers in general do not like sheep to average 

 more than 50 lb., this weight being the most suitable for family 

 joints. As the lambs averaged 40 lb., it would seem to be profitable 

 and possible for the farmer to market them at 50 lb. at from nine 

 months to a year old and get a profitable return for his labour and 

 outlay." 



Future Methods. 



South Africa, with her 35,000,000 sheep, has at the present time 

 far more sheep per head of population than Australia had forty 

 years ago, and still she exports none. This position shows clearly 

 that something is wrong with our methods, or that the country is 

 not suitable for sheep raising. The latter cannot for a moment be 

 admitted, and the only conclusion one can arrive at is that our 

 management has been far from perfect, and if we do not improve 

 our methods, the result will be a continued decline in prices until it 

 will be no longer profitable to raise sheep. This position is rapidly 

 coming about now, and the only way to stop it is to breed sheep 

 suitable for the export trade. 



Present-day prices, which are considered low, are not really so; 

 in fact, they are very high considering the number of sheep we have 



