Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-09-22
Sheep Jnterest.
VERMONT SHEEP IN AUSTRALIA.
FROM the Wool and Cotton Reporter.l

From the Wool and Cotton Reporter.l
The annual sale of pedigree and stud
sheep was held in sydney (Australia) at
the end of July, and included a very
large selection of good, bad and indifler-
ent ANIMALS. TO put the matter in a few
words, the good were very good and the
bad animals had better have been kept at
home, as the breeders must lose very
heavily on such; some sheep of good
breed and repute, but lacking the special
points for which purchasers were look
ing, going for nere song, $3.50 and So
apiece. The lumber of animals on show,
nearly 1900, was far and away too many
for the comparatively few buyers pres
eht.
A little lot of Vermont Tasmanian stud
rams, sent by one of the Gibson, Tasma-
mia, breeders, sold as follows: One ram
at 81 guineas; three rams at II guneas
zach; average, ETA IS. Cd. The imported
American sheep of Morrison, Wood &
Burns. of which about 10 were on off4r.
did not appear to be wanted, but were
partly sold at secret price afterward.
Some very high class rams, about seven
in all, which also were understood to be
imports from Vermont, offered on ac-
count of r. d. & w. Clark, met with
good reception, and made the highest av-
erage of the sales, viz: fS4 9s. a head.
The pure Merino ram, Chapman"
which took first prize at Nudge, n. S.
W., show this year, is the best four year
old and above, splendid fellow, c"nsid
cred one of the best ever seen in Austria
liza, was knocked down at 300 guineas;
considered cheap by judges. " Young
Hercules " fetched 100 guineas; Lee "
100 guineas; Longwool" 80 guineas:
" Thickness " ii guneas; Constitution"
II guineas; unnamed ram five guineas.
\ correspondent has Just been paying
a visit to Mr.. mcfarland of Barooga
station New South Wales), one of the
firmest friends and advocates of the Yer
mont sheep in all Australia. He thus de-
scribes what he saw: IL had good look
at some of the Barooga stud sheep on the
pastures. Among them was Mr.. Mac
flrland's favOrite eve. From casual
view in the open, cannot pronounce on
the quality of this sheep, but can safely
say that if she does not Justify all Mr..
Macfarland's high anticipatIons, she will
not discredit the stud she comes from. In
; ha | Of ~,
and though Mr.. Macfarland does not con-
slider the flock strong in sires this year,
there is one ram that | fancy will attract
the favorable attention of sheep owners.
He is or the small side. but very sturdily
built, and with remarkably handsome,
high-bred head, with no trace of weak
ness about it. His fleece is wonderfully
put on, the covering being exceptionally
good, even for "A sheep of Vermont line
age. He is not what is known as a show
sheep, but he is one that will gain favor
with experienced stOckbreeders.' Mr.
Macfarapd has on his Malwala station
Australian MerinOs, a scone ram seven
years old, whose fleece cut last year 1913
pounds of high class wool; at five years
old his fleece weighed 234 pounds. Mr.
mcfarland has sold about 1000 acres of
his Barooga station to Mr.. Brown (for-
merly of Tuppal station), who has formed
a stud flock of Vermont Merinos from
some of the best sheep in the old Tuppal
flock, to which selections from the Ba-
rooga stud have been added. The finest
flock of fat Merino wethers (about 5000
head) was shown me here; they are of
one-fourth Vermont blood, and were bred
in the Barooga flock. When sold, eX-
pect they will realize the top rate for the
season."
1t appears that Mr.. mcfarland is about
to turn his hand to raising long-woOled
sheep for freezing purposes. The official
hand book of New Zealand gives some
interesting figures respecting highest
percentages Of lambs dropped by follow
ing breeds in leading fiocks, pure Lin
coin rams serving seven-eighths bred.
Lincoln ewes secured 100 per cent; Rom
ney Marsh sheep, 9Gi per cent; Lincoln
and SouthdOwn cross, 944 per cent; pure
Lincoln, IS per cent; pure Leicester, 90f
per cent; English Leicester, 934 per cent;
pure Southdown, 81 per cent; pure Shrop-
shire, 974 per cent; Leicester crossed Meri-
no, 50 per cent; pure Merino, 7j3 per cent.
A little flock of Romney Marsh returned
increase as lll1 per cent.