VERY LITTLE WOOL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 3, 15 October 1940, Page 8

VERY LITTLE WOOL

FIRST CANTERBURY APPRAISEMENT.

GOOD QUALITY EXPECTED. (Special to the “Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. It is expected that there will bo a good deal of difficulty in baling ready enough wool in Christchurch to make an appraisal worth Avhile on October 25, when, it Avas announced last Avoek, the first of the Canterbury appraisals will bo held. Stores are at present almost bare after the particularly good clearance during the main season, and the August oddments sales Avliicli cleaned up what Avas left. The appraisal is fixed for Friday Aveek, which giA’es A r ery little time. Tt is probable that to make an appraisal Avorth while, 2000 bales Avould haA r c to be placed before the buyers. On present indications, it seems that not more than a few hundred bales of suitable avool are likely to be available'. North Island centres will probably be able to send forward a reasonable quota. The stores have handled too little avool yet to be able to judge the possibilities of the season accurately, but it is generally expected that unless there is a serious check from the Aveatlier between uoav and the completion of shearing, the quality of the Canterbury AA’ool Avill be better than for some seasons. The growing season lias been almost ideal. The Avinter Avas free from severe storms, and the autumn was a period of feiver than the normal number of dry north-westers. The avool should therefore be clean and sound, and Aveights should be considerably better than the severely-reduced Aveights of last season.

If the clip turns out as well as it promises at present, there is a good prospect of the effect of the reduction of 435,000 in Canterbury-Kaikoura sheep district flocks being offset. Last season Aveights Avere about 12ij per cent. boloAv normal, and quality also suffered from the unfavourable season. The Christchurch Woolbrokers’ Association has issued another appeal to farmers to use the greatest care in preparing their clips for valuing this year. A warning has boon issued by the Government that avool sent forAvard unskirted may this year be thrown doAvn in grade. The association points out that because of enlistments for Avar service, there Avill probably be a shortage of avool classers to deal Avith the clip, and that as a consequence, the stores Avill bo short-handed and unable to deal rapidly Avith' the extra avool sent in for classing in the.stores. “Even in previous years,” says a statement issued by the association, “a great deal of extra labour and expense have been incurred through oaviiers omitting to remove bellies and skirtings from the fleeces before packing into bales. This work can be done without specialised knowledge and is far easier to do before the avool is baled up. This year it is vitally essential that the skirting should he done on the farms as there will be no possibility of the brokers’ stores being able to deal Avith a large quantity of unskirted avool during the rush period. If the practice becomes at all general it may be necessary to hold over unskirted Avools until the end of the season and, at the best they will probably be subject to considerable delay.”