Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-07-19
VERMONT SHEEP IN AUSTRALIA.

The following article from the
Wool and Cotton Reporter will have
peculiar interest for Vermont sheep
breeders:
Breeders of American Merino sheep
will be everywhere interested in the
Melbourne champion Merino eve,
and the famous breeder, Samuel Me
Caughey, of Coonong, Riverina, New
South Wales, who has been SO promi-
nent in introducing Vermont blood
into the Australian f1ocks.
The Coonong stud focks take a
very high position. Mr.. McCaughey
probably shears the largest number
of sheep in the world, the pastoral
properties he owns or is interested in
being very numerous in New South
Wales and Queensland. Possessing
such immense tracts of country Mr..
McCaughey has had unusual oppor-
tunities for testing the Vermont
strain of blood in which he has al
ways been such staunch believer,
spite of much opposition, to DE one of
the most profitable for these colonies.
For the last five years graded Yer
mont rams have been used on most
of his properties with pronounced
success. Mr.. McCaughey's experience
with American sheep dates back to
1888, when he purchased ten Vermont
rams, which departure in breeding it
was. predicted by many would result
in the ruin of his then splendid flock
His Judgment has been fully demon
strated by the price he secures in the
stud sheep market, the extraordinary
weight of fieeces yielded by the rams
purchased from him by many, and by
his latest triumphs at the Melbourne
show.
There was no more firm believer
of the value of Vermont blood for
improving the Australian Merino
than Mr.. S. McCaughey and there is
ample justification for the faith that
is in him. His first experience with
this strain was in 1883, and this SO
satisfied him of it's value that he Wis
tied Vermont in 1885, and purcha sed
some of the finest sheep obtainable in
that State, and he now has the graded
progeny of these sheep thoroughly
established on his numerous stations
in New South Wales and Queensland.
Since the introduction Of the Vermont
blood, Mr.. McCaughey finds that a
marked improvement has taken
place, not only in the average weight
of fleece for his focks, but also in the
quality of the wool produced, thus
proving his contention that on good,
sound country the Australian Yer
mont will improve any flock. A very
strong prejudice against the strain
existed in,the minds of many flock
owners, but that this is being rapidly
removed by the merit of the sheep
themselves is proved by the steadily
increasing demands for pure and
graded Vermonts. At Sydney last
month 15 rams of Mr.. McCaughey's
breeding averaged 123 guineas each,
and one ram only Is months old reali-
zed 500 guineas. This ram had on only
81 months wool, but on being shorn
the fleece weighed 25 pounds This
probably established an Australian
record weight from Merino sheep of
that age. The average weight of
feeces taken from 13, 213 grown sheep
on Coonong in 1894 was II pounds,
two ounces, and on Goolgumbia sta
ton an average fleece of nine pounds
six ounces was cut from over 46, 900
ewes AS evidence that the quality
of wool grown by these sheep is inn
proved, it is only necessary to men
ton that the Toorale and Dunlop
clips, both of which belong to Mr..