Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-12-13

The wagon was the strongest l have
seen, manufactured in the Colony The
four wheels weighed one ton, with a
tire ten inches wide and two inches
thick-all other parts are built strong in
proportion.
Mr.. Hawker, whose father was an ad-
miral in the British navy, came here
from England forty-eight years ago,
when quite young, and devoted his time
and energy for many years to the i'm
provement of the breed of MerinO sheep.
He has paid fabulous prices for lambs
and thoroughbred ewes, and even now,
when his flock is perfect so far as could
see, he pays hundreds of guineas for a
single ram to add to the size of sheep,
or density to the fleece of any of his
flock he deems not perfect. Out of many
thousand we did not see poor or badly
wooled sheep.
We saw thousands of wethers that
would shear 10 to II pounds, and, in
short, would judge the whole lot of
sheep on the station would average from
eight to nine pounds per head. Mr.. G.
c. Hawker, Jr., who has managed the
estate for fourteen years, resides there,
and with his most accomplished wife,
dispenses hospitality in the most cordial
and liberal manner. Mr.. Edward, his
elder brother, is now member of Par
Lament.
From Bungaree we were taken to
"Kadlinega," the beautiful stud stallion
of Chief Justice Way, where we were de-
lightfully entertained for two days by
his manager, Captain Weston and his
amiable wife. This is gem of sta
tion, perfect in every respect. While
there we were driven by Captain Wes-
ton to ''Martindale," the estate of Mr.
Bowman, who received us in his pala-
tial residence with great cordiality.
This is the home of the owner and is
surrounded by every evidence of refine
ment and culture. His sheep rank with
the very best as do those of Chief JUS
tice Way. From "Kadlinega" we visit
ed "Hill River" the estate or the Hon.
J. H. Angas, NJ. p. This estate contains
fifty thousand acres, freehold, and ranks
among the best IN the colony. 1t car
ries forty thousand sheep, between five
and six thousand thoroughbred Durham
cattle, over one hundred horses, mostly
of the Clydesdale breed, and many thor
oughbred Berkshire hogs. We were
kindly received and entertained by Mr..
Adams, one of Mr.. Angas' managers,
who kindly drove us over great part of
the estate. We found shearing under
full headway and spent some time in
the shearing shed, where they were turn
ing out about the same number per day
as at Burgaree and handling the wool
in the same careful manner.
The number of sheep in the colonies
is about 100,000,000. Show sheep were
the only ones ever fed here, but that is
even abolished. When they did feed
it was on bran and wheat mixed with
the ''careb" bean. This bean is nutri-
tious and grows on tree. We saw a
tree at Bungaree that produced eight
hundred pounds at one gathering Com
ment on the cost of keeping sheep here
is unnecessary. At home where we feed
five months of the year and have to pro-
vide hay and corn, the profit is neeessar-
lily light. Here there is nothing to do
but shear once a year, return to the field,
where they do not even require to be
salted, as many of the dams and artesian
wells are brackish. Twenty boundary
riders will look after and do all the work
needed for 100000 sheep. except at
time. The price of wool here,
to-day, is for greasy and unwashed wool
3 and pence per pound, and secured
washed wool from II to Is cents per
penny is two eents). Most of
he wool, however, is shipped to Lon
Ion, where the price is better. There
ire Boston buYers here now.