The Classing of Farmers' Wool.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 28, 7 November 1905, Page 3

The Classing of Farmers' Wool.

SKIRTING AND CLASSING.

As the Bhearingseason is just starting a few remarks on the skirting and olassing of the clips might assist the farmer. The farmer suffers a greater loss, m proportion, than the large sheepowner through negligence m packing his wool for market, because it is well known that even carefully got up farmers' lote, being small, do not realise the same price as larger lots di the same quality, and if badly got up will most likely be purchased by a speculator or fellmonger who reclasses and re-offers /thenr for sale, and as a rule makes a profit. Despite these faots, many farmers' clips are sent to market m a very bad Btate, with the result that there is loss of money to the producer. Tbis is to be much regretted and seems most extraordinary to a buyer when a farmer prides himself on the particular Bheep8 heep he has, and the attention he has given to them, apd yet places all descriptions of wool, including locks and pieces, together, xx When a buyer asks a farmer why it is he , never skirts the fleeces, the usual answer is that he «.« does not know haw to do the work," or Vit does not pay to skirt." The *atter being the most common. In Bupport of I the latter, the farmer argues that he gets much less for tha skirted wool than tbe fleece, or else I that his neighbour, who has exactly the same class of sheep fed on similar country, gets no more than his neighbour who bales everything j together.

These two excuses are well worth considering. In doing so it is perfectly dear that a farmer could not be expected to pay a skilled man to class his wool. But, if the farmer uses a little common sense, it is quite sufficient. The second excuse is more important, and needs oareful explanation: The wool might' liave been sold m a different sale, there having been either a raise or fall m the market, but what would probably make the difference is that the neighbour's wool was most likely heavier m condition— i.e., contained more grease and dirt, whioh might not have'been. noticeable to the farmers, but to the buyer there might have been, say, 5%, more waste, and the difference m the prioe ff the wools would be £d on lOd. *

This case-is quite common, and explains many seemingly strange things m the sale of wool. Further it is impossible to get a satisaotory price for a badly-classed wool. A farmer cannot get the 'best results when he sends X fleeoes, skirts, bellies, looks, and strained ail mixed together for sale, or even when be mixes merino and orosßbred together. Not only is this oommon, but the fleeces often get mixed with chaff, etc, or are tied with binder twine, the latter being the worst artiole wool oould oome into contact with, as the hemp mixes with the wool and oannot be easily removed, thus passing through the manufacturing prooess until the cloth is milled, when the particles of hemp show up m the oloth, thus destroying its value. \

Great oare should be taken by the farmer to see tbat the floor of his shed is olean, and that the floor is always kept well swept' Ths farmer Bhould always understand how necessary it is to liave his wool made attractive so as to draw the buyer's attention to it, and this can only be done by skirting, not deeply, but simply taking ofl the dirty edges and fibby. ponts. The fleece should ale-o be well shaken to remove all the second outs. The fleece should then be rolled neatly by throwing the neck m, turning the sides m, and rolling from both ends.