Dec. 1890.] 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



295 



at the merinos in the Canterbury back country by the heavy 

 snows of the winter of 1895, during which 700,000 sheep perished 

 in addition to the normal annual loss. A great part of the 

 country thus deprived of merino sheep has since been stocked 

 with crossbreds, while on some of the runs where merinos remain, 

 Cheviot rams have been introduced, with the view of establishing 

 a hardier and more useful variety of sheep, as has been done in 

 Otago. 



The gradual change in the breeds of sheep has been accom- 

 panied by a change in their treatment. Formerly sheep farmers 

 generally were content to run their flocks on native pasture, and 

 in good seasons there was a plethora of the finest mutton ; but 

 with the advent of freezing regular supplies of fat sheep became 

 necessary, and the provision of fattening fodder had to be 

 undertaken. The country was more and more laid down in 

 English grasses, and then the farmers found that they must 

 grow turnips and fodder crops for the winter, and clover or rape 

 for the lambs in the summer and autumn. Thus arable 

 farming has become an essential part of sheep farming, and it is 

 becoming more and more so. 



The changes have, of course, had their effect on wool. Of 

 old, the beautiful, silvery-white merino from sheep grazed on 

 the native pastures was a special feature of the London wool 

 sales, and alwa}^s commanded the competition of buyers of good 

 grades of wool for the manufacture of choice goods. The uni- 

 versal introduction of English grasses, and still more the use of 

 turnips and rape, are said to have destroyed the distinctive 

 character of those wools, and now only a few clips of such are 

 to be found. New Zealand crossbred wools have, however, 

 established a reputation, and buyers from all manufacturing 

 countries visit the colony each season for the purpose of securing 

 a, supply of them. It is considered quite possible that even 

 these may be supplanted in time by the Down and Down cross 

 wools, which are of yet another character, and at present 

 decidedly less in favour with buyers. 



Shipment of Frozen Produce from South Australia, 



In the Journal for December, 1895, reference was made to the 

 steps taken by the Government of South Australia to encourage 

 the exports of the Colony by the establishment of a storing and 

 distributing depot in London, and by the erection of a receiving 

 depot and refrigerating machinery at Port Adelaide. Additional 

 refrigerating machinery and chambers at this latter port have 

 now been completed, and particulars have been received of the 

 charges and conditions under which the Produce Export Branch 



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