These sheep are eating a crop of swedes in Taranaki. Although turnips and swedes are normally used for wintering sheep, in the late 19th century they were used to fatten stock for the frozen meat trade. Sheep eat the green tops first, then the root, often leaving a hollowed-out shell in the ground. Farmers use a grubber to pull up the shells so the sheep can eat the whole crop and minimise waste.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Alexander Turnbull Library, James McAllister Collection (PAColl-3054)
Reference:
1/1-012869; G
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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