CHAPTER XXII 



THE CORRIEDALE 



History. — The Corriedale is regarded as a new breed, having 

 been developed in New Zealand since 1880. Prior to this time most 

 of the sheep in New Zealand were pure Merinos, but when it became 

 possible to ship frozen carcasses to London, New Zealand sheepmen 

 realized the need of producing sheep of better mutton quality. Ac- 

 cordingly, rams of the various English mutton breeds were placed 

 with the Merino flocks. It was found that the crosses between the long- 

 wool mutton breeds and the Merino produced the kind of sheep best 

 suited to New Zealand conditions. These half-breeds grew rapidly 

 upon the luxuriant pastures, yielded a heavy fleece of valuable wool, 

 and developed a carcass of high finish and quality. No known 

 breed of sheep seemed so well adapted to certain New Zealand con- 

 ditions as they, and so a number of breeders set about to fix a type 

 similar to these cross-bred sheep. Lincoln rams and some Leicesters, 

 but to a lesser extent than Lincoln, were crossed upon Merino ewes 

 and after close culling toward the type desired, the hybrids (half- 

 breds) were mated together. In each generation close culling was 

 practiced, and as a rule each breeder limited his selections of breeding 

 stock to his own flock. That this procedure in breeding has brought 

 gratifying results is indicated by the fact that it is now claimed 

 that the Corriedale shows no more variation in type than exists in 

 many of the older breeds (Fig. 125). 



Description. — In all essential characteristics the Corriedale is 

 a blend between the fine-wool and coarse-wool types from which it 

 came. In mutton conformation and disposition to fatten it is 

 superior to the Merino, but not equal to the Lincoln or Leicester. 

 Its wool being of medium quality, strong, even in structure, com- 

 paratively light in yolk, and three inches or more in length, fulfifls 

 the requirements of the wools bringing the highest price on the 

 markets. The fleeces average from ten to twelve pounds in weight. 



The face, ears, and legs of the Corriedale are white. Both sexes 

 are hornless, but there is a tendency for horns to appear in the rams 

 (Figs. 126 and 12?). 

 180 



