838 Journal of the Department op Agriculture. 



BREEDING SHEEP FOR THE EXPORT TRADE. 



By 0. EiVEES, Officer iu Charge of Slieep, Potcliefstroom School of 



Agriculture. 



During the past live yeais much has beeu done by cattle breeders to 

 improve breeds with a view to meeting the requiremeut-s of the export 

 trade, and they are certainly going the right way to work to breed 

 beef suitable for the European markets, although, of course, it will 

 take some years yet before any great number of the right class of 

 cattle will be available after our wants are supplied. The war has 

 retarded to a great extent the importation of the best beef sires, but 

 there is every hope that as shipping becomes more plentiful in the 

 near future large numbers of good beef bulls will be imported to carry 

 on the work so well begun. 



Why is it that our sheep farmers never seem to think of the 

 possibilities of the great trade in mutton that can be worked up in 

 considerably less time than it takes to grow the right kind of beef? 

 Is it because they are so well satisfied with what they are doing- 

 already or because they are indifferent to the enormous outlet they 

 have for the right class of sheep? At the present time, and for some 

 years past, there has been the greatest opportunity for South Africa 

 to participate in this trade, yet up to the present, if we take the 

 number of carcasses of mutton exported as a guide, there has not been 

 anj^thing like the progress there ought to have been, nor is the number 

 increasing. 



South Africa has now some of the finest parent stock on the 

 female side to work on that can be found anywhere in the world. I 

 refer to the few million Persians and Bastards we have. These sheep 

 will sell as they are in Europe, in fact almost anything will sell there 

 at present, biit it is not for the present we want to work, but for a 

 sound export business in the future, so that in due course we shall be 

 able to hold our share of this great trade against all comers. 



For some years past experiments in crossing Blackhead Persian 

 ewes with Suffolk rams have been carried out at Potchefstroora, and 

 the results have been very satisfactory, and many farmers who have 

 seen what has been done have been so struck with the results that 

 they intend taking up this line of cross-breeding in future in 

 preference to going on with the Persian, as they are fully alive to 

 the advantages that the crosses have over the pure breeds, not only 

 for the local markets of South Africa, but also for export. 



The 



Benefit to the Fakmer 



of crossing Suffolk rams with Persian ewes has been conclusively 

 proved ; the first cross are of a very good shape and carry the fat 

 evenly distributed all over the body, the lambs commanding a ready 

 sale at first-class prices. They are very hardy and thrifty and grow 

 out to good marketable weights at five months old, if given anything 



