Service To Growers

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31530, 18 November 1967, Page 9

Service To Growers

The sheep and wool division of the Department of Agriculture is giving farmers the opportunity of receiving instruction in wool handling in their own sheds under their own conditions. Mr L. Galloway, sheep and wool instructor of the department in Christchurch, said this week that the division had always been keen to improve wool handling in sheds in any way that it could, and over the years many wool handling demonstrations had been given to Young Farmers’ Club and Federated Farmers’ groups,. but it was felt that- the main instruction should be given in the farmer’s own shed during his shearing. It was to this end that the department had decided to employ part-time wool handling instructors. As from the beginning of this month a man was being employed to visit sheds during shearing to instruct in skirting, sorting of oddments, the general get-up of the clip and organ-, isation of woolsheds, such as in the placing of fadge forms and type of brooms to use, etc. The instructor would be Mr W. Barrow, who had com-

pleted Lincoln and Massey wool diplomas. He had had considerable experience in shed and store classing and for the last two years had been buying with a prominent woolbuying firm throughout the New Zealand roster of sales. Mr Galloway said that Mr Barrow was very keen to see the standard of work improve in the sheds, and was very conscious of the fact that to be able to sell wool from now on the preparation had to be of the highest standard. Mr Barrow would be available at reasonably short notice and would be working in the area from the Rakaia to the Conway Rivers, including Banks Peninsula. Any farmer wishing to use his services should write to Wool Handling Instruction, Department of Agriculture, Private Bag, Christchurch stating their shearing dates, size of flock and telephone number. They could also telephone details to the department or Mr Barrow (517-958), who would spend at least two hours in each shed he visited. “I feel that this in-shed Instruction is the most important that the farmer can have as it deals directly with his own clip and consequently he becomes more vitally concerned,” said Mr Galloway.