Crossbreeding. 51 



ewes the crossbred, so much prized for mutton-cum- 

 wool, is obtained. To maintain the crossbred calibre, 

 with an increasing leaning to the mutton side, the use 

 of the original sort of ram is continued, but it is appar- 

 ent that this continuance sees the Merino influence virtu- 

 ally disappear. When this transpires many farmers 

 place a Downs rani to the ewes, so as to get early fat 

 lambs, all of which go to the shambles, none of the ewe 

 lambs with the Downs blood being desirable for reten- 

 tion for breeding from. To maintain the desirable 

 crossbred qualities with a due proportion of the 

 Merino blood, many have successfully re-introduced the 

 Merino by using a ram of this breed. But, continuing 

 to use Downs rams on the crossbred ewes of long- 

 wool preponderance the ewes are finally fattened along 

 with the lambs and sold, and the farmer seeks for the 

 acquirement of a new breeding flock, unless he has on 

 hand a small flock of Merino breeding ewes so as to 

 yearly supplement the farm flock from half-breds, which 

 may only be done on a large and well equipped sheep 

 farm. 



The Merino is the foundation of the bulk of the 

 South Island's flocks, and now that the breed is becom- 

 ing scarce it perplexes many what is to satisfactorily re- 

 place the highly prized product of the half-bred long- 

 wool-merino ewes. The crossbred with the Merino 

 strain bulking sufficiently is what is sought. Some 

 farmers, as stated, are satisfied in bringing back the 

 Merino strain by using the Merino ram, what is termed 

 a come-back, but it is not generally followed, although 

 there appears to be no strong reason why it should not. 

 This is the opportunity for the Corriedale, and the use 

 of that breed is on the increase. The Merino is not now 

 generally used in the North Island for even the founda- 

 tion of crossbred flocks ; the Lincoln-Romney cross com- 

 posing the calibre of most of the crossbreds flocks there. 



