106 



[May, 



The general result is a very heavy expenditure; taking the 

 ewe as a unit the total cost of the flock per ewe amounted to 

 i'16 3s. in 1919-20 as compared with £9 5s. in the preceding 

 year. Of this £10 12s. went for food, £2 8s. for labour, £1 8s. 

 for rams, &c, £1 15s. for management and sundries, as com- 

 pared with £5 15s. for food, 26s. for labour, 17s. for rams and 

 27s. management and sundries in 1918-19. These figures are 

 very large in themselves, apart from the enormous increase they 

 show on those of the preceding year. To some extent the 

 increase is due to a bigger number of lambs reared, 304 against 

 278, and particularly a bigger number of ram lambs, which cost 

 the most, 89 against 58 in the preceding year. Labour and food 

 were dearer. The extra 8s. per ewe for sundries represented only 

 the increased cost of showing in 1920 as compared with 1919. 

 Big as the food bill appears it is not a wasteful one, such as 

 might be incurred by a shepherd who dips at will into granary 

 and cake store ; the foods are rationed out after discussion 

 between the manager and the shepherd, and while there has been 

 no stint there has been no waste. I am satisfied that the costs are 

 legitimate enough for the year and do not exceed those pre- 

 vailing in other pedigree flocks of the same quality. 



Of course there are probably no other sheep so expensively 

 produced : Hampshire ram lambs have to be forced from birth, 

 indeed as much as possible before birth, because neither 

 breeding nor quality will be of much avail if the lambs 

 have not size at the August sales. The essence of a Hamp- 

 shire is early maturity and the ram buyers make their choice 

 on what they see before them, which is, other things like 

 conformation and wool being equal, the weight attained in the 

 time, whether that is due to skilful feeding and to natural 

 capacity to put on flesh such as may be transmitted to the off- 

 spring. I am aware of few pedigree flocks that have a strict 

 account kept against them, especially as they so often are kept 

 as hobbies ; indeed, the main purpose of setting out this account 

 is to induce owners of pedigree flocks to realise what expenditure 

 they are up against. 



On the credit side the flock makes a better showing in 1919-20 

 than in the preceding year. In the first place more lambs were 

 reared, 310 from 263 ewes, as against 278 from 279 ewes in the 

 preceding year, and the quality was better, so that 89 could be 

 drafted for the ram sales as compared with 58 before. Sales 

 were better; as is well known, there was an exceptional recovery 

 in the demand for rams and sheep of ail kinds in 1920. This 



