HAIRINESS IN WOOL

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21970, 19 December 1936, Page 24

HAIRINESS IN WOOL

DETECTION BY BENZOL TEST SERVICE ORGANISED AT MASSEY COLLEGE (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.* PALMERSTON NORTH, Dec. 18. Though it has been operating for only two years, amazing results are attending the service established and organised by Massey Agricultural ColIce for thrj detection of hairiness in wool by the application of the benzol test To date more than 20.000 fleece samples have been booked for examination. By improving the raw material through proper selection methods based on the information obtained and bv carrvinsi out activities on a national basis, it is claimed that £1,000.000 can be added to the Dominion's wool cheque within a very few years. The service is the only one of it-: kind in the world. It is expanding at a tremendous rate, under the direction of Mr R. Waters, lecturer in microbiology and wool biology at the college. Mr Waters recently concluded his second visit to Southland. Staples from 6500 sheep from this area have been booked for examination, and 3000 of thc-e have been dealt with. By classifying sheep according to the hairiness of the woolj studmasters are enabled to cull out the worst and mate them with the best, thus securing the maximum number of high-class progeny. Though the activities of the service, have been principally directed to stud flocks, already the ordinary flock-owners are interesting themselves in its possibilities. In one case a complete lot of 200 flock rams has been booked for examination. By using rams of improved quality, crossbred owners, it is stated, will be able to advance the quality of their wool to medium class. Enquiries have been received from Australia and India concerning the possibilities of establishing a similar service there. Three hundred test outfits have been sent to various sheep owners in the Dominion, and one each to Uruguay,' South Africa, Australia, and England. Remarkable Statistical System A remarkable statistical system has been evolved at Massey College, where results of the examinations are filed. Samples are taken from 18 positions on a ram and six on a ewe, and every animal is ear-tagged for life. This enables systematic records to be maintained. So that the level of stud breeds can be raised, proper heredity records are being encouraged on a true genetic basis, so that vendors can state positively not only the degree of hairiness in an animal's wool, but also the characteristics of wool in its ancestors. Immersed in benzol in a tray, the staple to be examined is placed under a photo-electric cell, sensitive to a thin line of white light, by which the hair is distinguished. Under benzol this light activates an electric impulse to a galvanometer, in which a round mirror is set swjnging. The momentum of this is recorded bv the light which, in turn, throws the beam on to a scale.' The degree of this deflection, divided by the weight of the staple, gives th« percentage of hairiness in the sample