PREPARATION OF THE CLIP

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 264, 31 July 1908, Page 3

PREPARATION OF THE CLIP

~. some. pfrAMfffil!'Ab f vidi; ,rv : : f(,7r .■ .'DOES SKIRTING PAY? ', Somo uncertainty is occasibSially expressed ;as .to, the advisability of skirtins wool before salo: It is' "contended' by'" some that wool is alwaj's re-classed" by the purchaser, and that the timo devoted bv the grower tb .this wbrk' is at least wasted, even if it does riot hamper the subsequent classification by the purchaser.' Messrs. Dalgety and Co.,'h'owbyer, 1 appear to be'quite satisfied that proper; skirting'-, and classing • are ; desirable.ln 'their,' ; ". wool' review" they; say.:— " Tho clip,; ; as 'a whole, Miitiriues -to -show somo impfovement-in prbnarat-ibn; for market, but-'it '"is' : still necessary to .-impress upon • growers the great'desirability, of seeing that the skirting of fleeces, if dono at all.' is carefully''supervised,:and;'that any' short, yolky,. (black-tipped 1 fleeces,' which appear 'noiv to bo more'numerous than,.in''the past,;'be- kept separate from- those-more ,'shafty. and better' 'conditioned. The classing of crossbreds shows an -■ advance towards greater' perfection,, though many clips,'both largo and small; continue 'to 'bo father 'carelessly" graded and skirted, this being especially tho case in many parts of. New Zealand; The "first thine to ' cbrisider in 'preparing, crossbred wool for market is quality which; as all breeders know, varies so much iri a'cro'ssbred flock, 'however : well 'bred the'sheep may be. ; As a. rule tho Australian' output is carefully and well markfctod; especially the larger clips, while many growers who, havo comparatively small flocks tako a commendable pride in prep'a'ring their ■wool, arid the trouble thus .takon : is amply repaid. It has .been the experience; during several'past seasons that some excellent clips missed tho American competition owing to the faulty manner in which the fleeces had been skirted. This requires the careful attention of wool-classers, as : -it' is well known that tho slightest deviation from the.require"m'onts of, tno United- States • representatives very frequently causes the loss of their' valuablo competition for wool,-which may le in all respects,'-,save, onej 'entirely suitable for their orders.. ' , -, ' ' '.. . " It is frequently argued by growers that their neighbour who did not skirt his wool at all got/ equally as high a prico per lb. This may, 1 arid docs occasionally occur, but it must be remembered ■ that . tho man who does not class his wool as a rulo does not attend to 'his flocks ; they aro frequently: underfed, and consequently produce hunger-fino, light-con-ditioned wool,'which may bring an, oven higher price per lb.- tliari.tjiat froni. well-bred sheep; but price per lb. is not the tost of merit/ • WJion it coniqs. to returns per head, the fiockmastor who dips and feeds his sheen, skirts, his fleeces carefully, not . necessarily iheavily, invariably outdistances lus neighbour who does,not do these things. Over-classing of wool' is almost as'bad as not classing- at all; nor is heavy skirting of the majority of fleeccs necessary. It is advisable, when the wool permits, to make the lots as large as possible, while, wool-rollers should made to use some judgment as to the skirting of flecces,- and not be , allowed, as is usually the case, to tear tho wool ofF whenever it happans to bo hanging Over,the' table. The'rolling of the fleece is also most-important; antl it is desirable not to tie same even by twisting up tho neck wool." , ■ ■/:.,