lOO NEW SOUTH WALES. 



The Border Leicester. — In 1894 whou tlic last available returns were 

 made, very fewslicep of this breed were to be met with in the Colony; 

 but since then a considerable number have been introduced from New 

 Zealand ; and as they are hardy, good sized, well shaped sheep with a 

 comparatively good fleece of saleable wool, and do better on second-class 

 country than the Lincoln, it is to be expected that they will in many 

 cases bo used by our breeders for crossing with the merino, although 

 their cross-breds are somewhat short of red meat. 



The Bomney Marsh. — During the last two or three years several 

 owners, Avhose flocks have been suffering fi'om fluke and foot-rot^ have 

 introduced Komney Marsh rams ; and they have acted wisely in doing 

 so, for while the Eomney Marsh is an exceptionally hardy sheep, and 

 will no doubt lessen the number of losses these owners have lately been 

 sustaining from the cause mentioned, the Eomney Marsh crosses will 

 clip fairly weighty fleeces of good useful wool, and give a saleable 

 carcase of, say, 60 ffi. of two-year old mutton, if well cared for. 



The ^Sollfh I)ou-n. — This breed, which has a fair number of represen- 

 tatives in this Colony, was one of the earliest British breeds introduced ; 

 but although the quality of the mutton of the first cross with the merino 

 is superior, the shape of the sheep excellent, and its hardness and con- 

 stitution all that could be desired, the great falling off in the weight 

 and quality of the wool in the cross has prevented the South Down ram 

 from coming into anything like general use for crossing purposes. Still 

 it will pay well to put' the South Down rams to cross-bred ewes, especially 

 the Lincoln and merino cross, to breed lambs for the London market — 

 a business in which it is believed an extensive remunerative trade will 

 before long be established. 



Shro'psMre Doivns. — Although the number of sheep of this breed 

 now in the Colony is small, there is no doubt but it will rapidly 

 increase ; for while the shape of the sheep (a very important consider- 

 ation in the London market) and the quality of the mutton are very 

 nearly equal to the South Downs, the Shropshire cross kills heavier, 

 and the fleece in this cross both weighs more and is more valuable 

 than the South Downs. Like the South Downs, the Shropshire will 

 be principally used for breeding lambs with the first cross ewes got 

 by rams of some of the British breeds out of merino ewes ; but even 

 with merino ewes the Shropshire ram gets first-class lambs of fair 

 weight and prime quality. 



Cross-hreds. 



Previous to 1883 it may be said that it was not practicable to put 

 either beef or mutton in a fresh state on the London market; but 

 since that time this has all been changed, and there is not now, nor 

 has there been for the last ten or twelve years much more risk in placing 

 fresh lieef and mutton on the London market than in shipping tinned 

 meat, or even wool. 



This being the case, sheep-breeders in New Zealand have during 

 that time been taking advantage of this altered state of things, and 

 doing a trade in frozen meat, which, taking the relative number of 

 Bheep in the two Colonies, Avas more than ten or eleven times the 



