Kaeakul Sheep. 629 



see also remarks further on on the naming of rams.) The result 

 of the 1918 season was: First class, 23; second class, 28; third 

 class, 39; fourth class, 16. Although there were 16 in class four 

 the results were very satisfactory, as was expected that this 

 would be the result of the mating. The increase in the 

 number of first class lambs showed that in that direction also the work 

 was proceeding along the right lines. The drop in the number of 

 second class lambs is partly to be accounted for by the fact that some 

 of the better ewes were put to the untried rams to give them a fair 

 chance of proving themselves. Much information was gained from 

 this season's lambing. It showed clearly that a plain A-type ram, 

 or better still a " watered silk " ram, could break down much of the 

 undesirable curl and quality of B and " nigger " lambs, and that with 

 patience and using the right stamp of sire a fur-bearing flock could 

 he built up from what at first appeared to be very hopeless beginnings. 

 Another lesson learnt was that it was exceedingly dangerous to intro- 

 duce too much cuil through the ram without laiowledge of tlie exact 

 breeding of the ewes with which he is mated. 



For the 1919 mating 6 rams were used, including the 2 young 

 sons of " Langman " mentioned above. One of these, "Llama," a 

 first A '"watered silk" at birth, was used to_ take much of the 

 stamping out work from "Edward." and was given almost all bad 

 ewcfc. of B type or "niggers." Their lambing from this tup has 

 just finished', and has been by far the best, for, although many 

 third classes were got, fourth classes were scarce, and the lustre 

 and quality of the hair generally was of a much higher order than 

 in 1918. This was expected, as 3 of the 6 rams used were born 

 on Grootfontein, and the officer in charge saw the other when it 

 was a lamb. " Blackie " and "Edward" were the two others. 

 Also, all the 1917 ewe lambs had their mating notes made 

 when they were born, and this _ method of mating, put into 

 practice for the first time, proved itself at once. The result was as 

 follows: First class, 25; second class, 37; third class, 40'; fourth 

 class, 6. It will be noted that there is an increase in the number of 

 first class lambs, an appreciable increase in the second class, an 

 increase in the number of thirds, but at the expense of the fourth class, 

 which contained only 6. Of the 40 lambs in the third class only 6 

 showed a B quality, and only one of these was a true B. None of 

 the 6 fourth class lambs were in B. 



Eor the convenience of readers the percentages for the four years 

 are reprinted together: — 



From the above results it can readily be seen that considerable 

 improvement can be made in the space of four years. In 1916 the 

 first and second class skins, that is the pelts, valuable as furs, together 

 totalled to 32.85 per cent, of the drop, while in 1919 it is 57.39 per 

 cent., or nearly 60 per cent, of the drop. 



