PREPARING THE NEW CLIP

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 12, 8 October 1921, Page 9

PREPARING THE NEW CLIP

EXPERT’S ADVICE TO WOOLGROWERS LACK OF CARE IN SKIRTING AND CLASSING SERIOUS LOSS FOR PRODUCERS The fall in wool values has served to focus attention on the urgent necessity for an improvement in the methods of preparing New Zealand wool for the market. A very considerable sum, it is said, is lost annually 'by New Zealand producers through their neglect to give the fleece the care and attention required—by skirting it and classing it. Experts say that it stands to reason that the more uniform the wool is in point of quality throughout the bale the better it is for the buyer, and just now growers must please the buyer more than ever before. On account of the prevailing slump in wool values, everything is in the buyer’s favour, and recent sales have served to emphasise the fact that overseas operators—particularly the Americans—are not going to buy unless' the lines offering absolutely suit them. Buyers'* representing countries with a high protective tariff are naturally not attracted by wools that carry seed or dirt, because it is not a good proposition to pay duty on refuse. "Going to Lose Every Time.”

With the new season’s shearing now under way, it behoves growers to pay increasing attention to tho matter under review. "44 e cannot lay it down too hard and fast,’’ remarked an expert to a Dominion reporter yesterday, “that wool must bo suitably prepared for marketing. If growers persist in neglecting to prepare their staple, it simply means that they are going to lose every time. It is only those people who have got local scouring works who will operate in badly prepared and dirty wool,’ and of course they buy at their own price.’’ Mr. J. G. Cook, wool instructor, attached to the Live Stock Division of tho Agricultural Department, has more than once stressed the importance of preparing the clip for sale, and has contributed several articles to the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture on the subject. According to Mr. Cook, "skirting tho fleece is the critical stage of its preparation for market when sold in grease, and it is astounding how many wool producers neglect to give the fleece the care and attention required. Some engage anybody to do this work, aud seemingly are quite satisfied ns long as the table is kept clear and the wool got out of sight into a bale, A very large sum of money is lost to wool growers every year by bad skirting alone, to say nothing of faulty classing.” Striking Instances of Neglect.

Prior to one of last season’s local sales Mr. Cook went through the stores and observed how the wool had been prepared during the shearing season. He found many striking instances of neglect. Regarding wool which had nothing done to rt—neither skirting nor classing —ho made the following observations — "These lots comprised about 35 per cent, of the fleece wool catalogued for the sale. The fleeces had all the skirtings on—in some cases including belly wool—and the fleeces were all packed together —cotty, seedy, and dingy, with clean, free, open wool. 'Phis way of sending tho wool for sale is all in favour of the speculative buyer, and the sheep farmer loses every time. If all the fleece wool had been prepared in the same manner ns that which came under the heading. ‘Wool well skirted and ’ well classed’

(comprising only 15 per cent, of the total offerings). 4110 sale would havo been ft better one throughout. Owing, however, to there being such a wide range, of quality displayed in the same bale under the headings, ‘Wool well skirted, but badly classed,’ and ‘Wool slightly skirted. but not classed,’ these buyers who did compete for these lines put. themselves on tho safe side by valuing and offering the price of tho lowest spinning quality found in tho bale. Several buyers crossed a number of these, lines oil' their list, and would not compete for them, several of such lines 'being shown to me. Into the Hands of Speculators. "The result was that the wool grower, through not preparing his wool properly ut shearing time, lost the competition (Tat would have come from these buyers had it been well ,got up for the sale. Tho lines of' wool/coming within tho category of ‘wool which had only tho stained part on the britch removed, and was not classed,’ and ‘wool which had nothing done to it.’ were competed for only by speculative buyers, such as those who have scouring works of their own, where the wool is sent after being bought, and then sorted out into the different classes. The passings were very heavy right through the sale, Im•me could hardly wonder at this after havin" seep the wcol when displayed in th,, wool stores. More growers should eome down and have a look through the stores for themselves. The educational effect would assuredly moan more care tn the future when preparing the weffi the woolshed at shearing time. it leqniros reiterating that a very large ,utm of money is lost annually to the Dominion through such a large propert?nn of wool producers not: preparing t’hevr wool thoroughly before forwarding it. for sale.”