IMPROVEMENT OF WOOL.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20918, 27 July 1933, Page 15

IMPROVEMENT OF WOOL.

TO TlH' KDITOE Of THE -PBESS. Sir,—ln your issue of July 24 there is an article headed "Improvement of Wool." It has been suggested that stud breeders should submit to having their rams inspected before they are sold to the ordinary pastoralist. This was tried by the Corriedale Breeders" Society at the last ram fair. The inspection, although carried out by two most competent and excellent show judges, produced great dissatisfaction. Certain sheep were eliminated which were. brought out in natural condition and did not fill the eye as more pampered animals do. Some of these eliminated sheep were sold privately, at good prices, to competent sheep men, while the sale of unrejected sheep was in progress by auction.

Considering the number of sheep in New Zealand of the big, robust type, which produces a good- fat lamb, but which grows wool of 40/44's spinning count, commonly colled carpet wools, the average value a sheep of the New Zealand wool clip is well above the average of most countries and our fat lamb export 1s above them all both for numbers and quality. To prove that there is a great difference between clothing wools and carpet wools we will quote from the second wool sale held in Auckland in January, 1033. Superfine Corriedale 56/58's brought 12Jd, coarse crossbred '4O/44's 4d to 4jd.

It must be remembered that it is only on the dry country that the highprice wool can be grown successfully. Judging from the number of sheep exported from New Zealand, some in crates, alive, as high-class stud sheep, and many millions as mutton and lamb. In freezing chambers, there are many great stud flock-masters in this country. Their work appears to be appreciated by oversea buyers, more so than nearer home. As a stud breeder I cannot see that a wool fund levy is going to help anybody, as suggested in your article. Both the Lincoln and Massey Colleges can be of great use to the wool industry by carrying out experiments with sheep dips. Sheep can be kept clean of ticks by using a dip which kills tha tick egg. Wool that is neither dip-stained nor tick-stained is worth pence a pound more than that which is stained or mushed into cross fibres and noil by rubbing.—Yours, etc., C. 11. ENSOR. Corriedale Stud Farm, Hanmer Springs, July 25, 1933.