134 



Journal of Ag7iculture, Victoria. [10 March, 1916. 



Lambing was regular and frequent in the early weeks of July; the 

 lambs grew quickly, were fat all the time, and retained comparatively 

 heavy carcass weights when slaughtered. The wool seemed to be a 

 great deal shorter than that from the long-woolled crosses, and somewhat 

 lighter in character. A prominent growth of horn is unquestionably 

 the unpopular feature from the buyers' stand-point, and some butchers 

 claim that the carcass when hung is too long and bony. 



No. 5.— Sliropshire Cross. 



This cross of lambs seem to drop throughout the three years of the 

 experiment somewhat more irregularly than the long-woolled sections, 

 although they showed decided uniformity and fair quality throughout 

 their growing period until maturity about the sixteenth week. The 

 lambs had a tendency during the later weeks of the growth to develop 

 an excessive quantity of wool about the face and eyes; this is a feature 



Crossbred Ewes with Southdown Earn. 



which somewhat explains their comparative unpopularity if kept as 

 weaners. As a freezing lamb, however, they are undoubtedly popular 

 amongst the buyers. 



The fleece is shorter than the long-woolled crosses, but the weight 

 compares favorably with both the Border and English Leicester. A 

 conspicuous feature in this cross was the total absence of twin lambs 

 during the three years of the experiments. 



No. 6. — Southdown Cross. 



The lambs in this cross were dropped regularly early in July each 

 year, the percentage of deaths was very low, and the percentage of lambs 

 raised compared favorably with the averages of the other crosses. Very 

 few twin lambs, were born, and this probably accounts for the average 

 lambing percentage recorded. Tlie lambs were exceptionally hardy. 



