Romney Wool Much Better Than Formerly

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 February 1931, Page 8

Romney Wool Much Better Than Formerly

NEED FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS. MASTERTON, Last Night. Speaking at Solway to-day at the presentation of the challenge trophy in the Farmers’ Union Fleece Competition, Mr. William Perry, president of the Royal Agricultural Society, dealt interestingly with the national aspects oi wool production. Mr. Perry said Mr, Sidey, of Canterbury Agricultural College, who had recently been Home studying the wooj question at the Wool Research Station, in the Old Country, had expressed the opinion to him that Romney purebrea wool was equal in quality to Corriedalc. Statements had been made at Home, Mr Perry added, that the Corriedalc was the wool and that New Zealand gi’owers ought to breed their wool to that standard but that argument had practically been disproved. One was or practically as good quality as the other, Romney wool of round fibre made first class Worsted cloth, and he was very pleased to say that the wool of Romney sheep in the North Island —he could not speal< about the South Island —was very much better than it was three or four years ago. Ho believed that if what had been done were followed up, New Zealand, in a few years time, would again have the reputation it formerly enjoyed of producing the best w r ool in the world. The head of one of t’- big woollen firms at Home had told him in Wellington that there was a great shortage or what they called preparing wool —woo) of long staple and fair sized fibre. Two kinds of wool were wanted at Home, this long staple wool and wool of finer quality'. Growers should concentrate on producing one or the other. Mr. Perry advocated getting a qualified man to go round New Zealand advising farmers on selection of sheep for wool production. If this were done a wonderful improvement would bo witnessed in a few years.