Nondugl Sheep Experiment

Critics Answered

Nondugl Sheep Experiment Will not be Permitted to Fail

Sir Edward Hallstrom had this to say to a PIM reporter, in Sydney, i March: “New Guinea is one of those places where people without xperience have been guilty of saying you can’t do this or that. These eople would be far wiser if they took the ‘T’ out of can’t and rolled up ieir sleeves and got on with the job.”

R, EDWARD was discussing the Hallstrom Livestock and Fauna Trust which, through the ex mental station, has introduced iney Marsh sheep to the New nea Highlands. tie original flock of sheep intro sd to the area has done suf ntly well for Sir Edward recently ave established a stud there, and pedigree Romney Marsh stud ip have been secured from Vic i. . spite of what critics have said, Edward is quite satisfied with progress of the sheep at Nondugl his view was endorsed recently fficers of the P-NG Department igriculture. r Edward gave PIM the follow facts: ►NDUGL Station, situated in the 100-inch rainfall Wahgi Valley, is operated by the Trust, of :h Sir Edward is chairman.

Although the station’s efforts to raise sheep in the Highlands over the past eight years has already cost this philanthropist well over £lOO,OOO, it appears that the project is now bearing fruit, and will result in ultimate benefits for New Guinea native people.

Numerous problems and difficulties had to be overcome in the establish ment of what is claimed to be “one of the most modern sheep stations imaginable.” > When it was hacked out of dense undergrowth, the station was found to be situated on old native gardens and many deep trenches criss crossing the area made the job of clearing and levelling difficult.

Since everything that either enters or leaves the Wahgi Valley must travel by air, pastures have had to be improved without the benefit of superphosphate. Experiments in the selection of suitable grasses are still going on, and the nutrition level

of the sheep, which at one time almost defeated the project, is now being steadily improved.

Worm infestation is a major problem in this heavy rainfall country, but this has been overcome by the division of the 800-acre station into 10-acre paddocks for rotational grazing. Steel posts, and barbed and net wire were flown in from Sydney by plane, and an ex tensive fencing programme has been practically completed.

Construction of a stud house which will provide a considerable amount of shedding for the sheep in wet weather is almost completed.

The original Romney Marsh flock of 1,400 has dwindled to 1,000. This is due to losses during the early period of establishment and the

recent sale of weaker stock for rations, leaving the best of the flock to be further improved by the new stud sheep. The recent importations came from the stud of Mr, Ivor Manton, Manegeeta (Victoria), and comprise 30 stud ewes and two heavily fleeced stud rams, together with 14 flock ewes.

The project has the wholehearted backing of Mr. Manton and other Romney Marsh breeders, who are determined that the station will not fail. Mr. M. L. Johnston, stud man ager of the Manton Romney flock flew to the New Guinea High lands to confer with the resident station manager, Mr. Frank Pemble Smith, on the establishment of a new stud and on a future breeding programme for the already existing flock ewes.

Sir Edward said that since it has become known that valuable stud 3heep have been sent to Nondugl, jnany inquiries have been received from local Highlands residents run ning a few sheep, seeking rams to improve their flocks.

Sir Edward believes that there are many places in New Guinea where sheep could be raised satis factorily. There is much undulating country with, for the tropics, com paratively low rainfall. On the other hond, no part of New Guinea is ever affected by serious drought.

Nondugl station keeps accurate statistics of the flock, including death from injuries and sickness.

Some advantages the station has

over Australian sheep-farmers are that in NG there is no fluke and foot-rot, and the fleece is very clean, and contains no burr or dust.

Sir Edward claims that the station is in a much more fortunate position than many in Australia, and its losses are no more than that of the average grazier.

While he believes that the Romney Marsh breed is the most suitable type of sheep for the Highlands, he may later introduce a Scottish breed, which is renowned for its

hardy qualities, and which migJ be suitable for NG.

Little trouble has been expe9 enced in introducing cattle to H Highlands, and there is a tremera ous amount of cattle country avas able throughout this area.

Sir Edward believes that Nondn Station will become an imports.

Government station for the intid duction of various breeds of sha and cattle to assist in supplyh meat urgently required for the K Highlands and the coastal areass

Nondugl Wild-Life Zoo

N interesting sidelight on Nondugl Station is the estab lishment of a 20-acre zoo on ad hng ground. This contains Buds 3 aradise, tree-climbing kangaroos s-cus), many parrots and rare v Guinea ducks. isitors to the zoo are predom tely native, but few Europeans /felling through the area pass up chance of a close-up look at ie of New Guinea’s wildlife. •ne of the rarest ducks in the Id, the Salvadori, comes from v Guinea and, this year, Sir /ard has been successful in breed it in the Nondugl zoo. This is first time that it has been bred captivity, and he received con tulations from all over the world.