COURSE FOR SHEARERS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29880, 21 July 1962, Page 17

COURSE FOR SHEARERS

Certificates Presented Four million sheep were blade shorn each year in the Sou.h Island, and it was impartant that the supply of shearers be maintained, the field director of the Woo! Board 'Mr Godfrey Bowen' said yesterday at the end of the board’s first instruction course at Ashley Dene. There were about 400 professional and 100 part-ime blade shearers in the South Lland Fourteen young trainees had qualified for their certificates. and he had been extremely imoressed with the standard of their work In •he.r practical test they had been required to shear a sheep in less than 7mm. The • mes taker, had ranged from 3lm:n to 6}min without serious faults. As well as shearing, the trainees had been given a thorough grounding in wool handling, he said. Mr L. P. Chapman, a member of the Wool Board, who p-esented the trainees with their certificates, said that, as well as the demand for blade shearing in the high country, the practice of pre-lamb shearing with blades on the plains was growing. The quality of the wool was improved. and the spreading of the shearing season spread both the demand for shearers and the amount of wool offered throughout the selling season. The course was conducted by Mr W. Johnson, of Ashburton. who is the board’s blade shearing instructor. He has been shearing for 35 years and has tallied up to 250 sheep in a day. A similar course will be held next year. Cer ificates were presented to Messrs D. Ward (Christchurch'. R. Agnew (Dunedin', D. McMurray (Timaru'. R Allan 'Mackenzie Country'. D. Allan 'Mackenzie Country'. W. Brook (Christchurch). R. Stephens (Timaru'. D Hamilton 'Gore), J. Lister iStaveley), G. Garrow (Fairlie). W. Heath 'Methven). A. O’Donnell 'Akaroa'. J. Denver (Blenheim). and R Lucas 'Queens-