WOOL AND THE SHEEP.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 190, 12 August 1919, Page 9

WOOL AND THE SHEEP.

■ I CLASSES FOR SOLDIERS. The. Repatriation Department intends to go ahead with instruction in woolclasoiiig at the military 'hospitals through. out t:ie Auckland Province. The subject hr.s already been taught at Rotorua and Kamo, and wounded soldiers at Auckland have attended classes at thu Auckland Technical College. Woolclassing has prove.i popular with the men that arrangements are being made to extend the instruction, in order to provide for all who desire to learn. Classes are to be reopem-d .--li.irtlv α-t Rotorua by the instructor, Mr \V. T. Hambly, who will afterwards go on to Auckland and Kamo. It is not quite certain as yet whether clus-c* will bo hold at the Cambridge Sanatorium. It has been stated that wool-classing offers little scope as a means of earning a livelihood, but it in not with the object, of turning ut professional wool-classers tlia't the clashes are being held. One or two Hi the men wish tif take up the work for a living, hut the majority are nnxious to learn something of it to aid them in sheep raisin*;. It in considered that by sending hi* wool to town graded to some extent, the producer can pet .it least 2.1 a pound more for it, than if lip sends it down haphazard with fleeces of all «rarVs jumbled together. Mr. Hnmbly also givea instn-ction in sheepraising in general, and his work lritherto ha* been "reatly appreciated by the men A number of the hospital patients belong to Southern districts, where the sheep is a more important animal tluin in this part of the Dominion, so that the training is of very practical value. The refusal of the Railway Department t° carry wool for civilian clae&es at Dargaville w not expected to cause trouble at Kotorna, where a fair quantity was collected for instructional purposes ,;ome time ago. The normal course of training extends over about three weeks. For some timn past (lie Auckland Education Hoard has been holding similar i-las-ses for farmers. Mr. Uainbl" acting a<s instructor. The classes have, been arranged from time to time with various branches of the Farmers' Union, the board merely requiring a minimum attendance of ten pupilo.