614 



to arrive at. The late Mr. John Murray, of Mount Crawford, South 

 Australia, who from not very promising originals raised one of the 

 finest flocks of merinos in Australia, said before he died that he had 

 never attained his standard of excellence in a merino sheep. For 

 half a century he had patiently and skilfully raised the character of 

 his flock, and had he lived another year I fancy he would have 

 seen his ideal fully realised. This is the way great flocks are 

 formed, not by running after each change of fashion, but by select- 

 ing a high standard, and following the course marked out, never 

 for a moment losing sight of the end, no matter how far away it 

 may seem to be. . He who tries to achieve this end will make a 

 good sheep farmer ; he who succeeds will be a master in the art of 

 sheep husbandry. 



In breeding sheep, as in breeding all other pasture animals, too 

 much stress must not be laid on individual records, either for weight 

 of fleece or weight of carcase. A heavy fleece and heavy carcase 

 do not always represent the most profitable animal to raise. The 

 conditions of life in the district must be carefully studied, and an 

 estimate made as to what combination of frame and fleece the 

 country will best produce. This matter seldom receives that 

 attention at the hands of Australian sheep farmers which its 

 importance deserves. Because one district, which possesses many 

 natural advantages, will produce highly profitable sheep of a certain 

 type, it by no means follows that a neighboring district, similar in 

 many respects, but not possessing so many natural advantages, will 

 do the same. In this respect we must go with nature, for we 

 cannot contend against her. Herein lies the benefit of an intelligent 

 and close observation of the flock, and this is why the sheep farmer 

 who sees his sheep every day is better fitted to cull the breeding 

 ewes than a man who sees them but once a year. 



There is a great attraction in sheep breeding, but it is a business 

 like any other, and is followed ior gain and not for sentiment 

 therefore, the object of the farmer should be to raise the description 

 of sheep which his country is best adapted to produce, and that 

 sheep is the one that will give the greatest amount of profit per 

 acre. As a modern writer puts it " The art of breeding may be 

 epitomised in the one word, 'selection,' which involves the applica- 

 tion of every established principle of practice and a consideration 

 of the inll.ience of every peculiarity of form." Selection of the 

 breeders has ever been the guiding principle of the leading stock- 

 breeders of England, the most skilful husbandmen in the world. 



In culling the ewes it is advisable to take out of the flock all 

 small-framed weedy animals ; a ewe should be roomy to can v a 

 lamb. In some stud flocks in which close attention is paid to the 

 individual members of the flock, small ewes are sometimes retained 

 among the breeders because the owner knows that they produce 

 good si/ecl, well-shaped stock ; but such ewes are exceptional, and 

 one cannot have any knowledge of them in a general flock. There- 



