CHAPTER I. 

 THE FLOCK. 



TYPE OF SHEEP. 



Australia is such a new land that the husbandman has to make 

 his own experience. He has not the records, written and unwritten, 

 of many previous centuries of practical work to assist him, as is the 

 case with the European husbandman. It is, therefore, all the more 

 necessary that he should exercise great care and judgment in selecting 

 the breed of sheep he intends to cultivate, for upon this selection 

 much of the success of the business will depend. Over the greater 

 portion of our island continent the climate, soil and pasture are better 

 adapted to the breeding of merinos than any other variety of our 

 domestic sheep. Some of the coastal districts, particularly those 

 of the south and east, are too humid, and the rich soil carries too 

 heavy a pasture for the golden-footed merino to retain his health, 

 and in these localities the heavier-bodied British breeds of sheep 

 will be found the more profitable sheep to raise. In the inter- 

 mediate districts, between the coast country and the hot plains of 

 central Australia, and throughout the highlands that occupy such a 

 large area along the eastern part of the continent, the various cross- 

 breds and downs may be raised with advantage. But throughout 

 the whole of central Australia the merino will always be king. 

 True, the Lincolns have invaded this home of the merino, their use 

 being to raise freezers for exportation, but the main body of the 

 breeding sheep are, and I believe always will be, merinos. As 

 far as my experience goes in sheep-breeding in Australia the only 

 sheep that have been bred with success (except merinos) in the hot 

 dry plains of the interior, are the Shropshires. Hampshire downs 

 have succeeded well for crossbreeding in Riverina, but how the 

 pure breed will stand the climate has yet to be learned. An 

 experiment is now being made with Dorset horns, which promise 

 to become admirable farmers' sheep, particularly where lambs are 

 raised for market. Before commencing to establish a flock, the 

 farmer should have a clear idea of what description of sheep he 

 wishes to breed, and he should be satisfied, before embarking in the 

 business, that his country is well adapted for raising such sheep. 

 If he undertakes to breed a variety of sheep that his country is not 

 able to develop thoroughly the undertaking will not likely be 

 successful. 



