OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 91, 16 April 1908, Page 6

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

No. 2.—THE WOOLS OF T£E WORLD. A CHAPTER TO WOOLGROWERS. [FBOM OTJE. CORRESPONDENT.] BRADFORD, March 6. The surprise of the wool world during the past twenty years has been the rise and progress in the production of crossbred wool. This really is only a recent development, but the phenomenon is here to stay. Messrs H. Schwartze and Co. hand me a few details touching upon this very aspect of the trade. The following figures' show the' production of merinos and crossbreds since 1889, and .they relate only' to Colonial and River Plate wool, as shown in the imports into this country:— Proportion of Year. crossbred. 1889 ... ... ... ... 17.2 per cent. 1893 ... ......... 23 I'per cent.' 1899 ... .' ... 45.6 percent. 1900 ...... '■:-.. :.. 50.7 per cent. 1901 ... ...' ... ... 48.1 per cent. 1902 ... ... ... ... 48.1 per cent. 1903 ... -» 51.8.per cent. 1904 ... .;. ... «... 5J..8 per cent. 1905 ... ... .... ... 42.2 per cent. 1906 ... ...... .... 46.8 per cen,t. 1907 ... ... 45.0 per cent. The above makes a wonderful showing, as exhibiting the changed character of the bulk of the world's wool product during the past fifteen years. And it is worth special mention-that New Zealand and the River Plate are entirely responsible for this great change. It is doubtful if ever crossbred values will get back to the low . level of 1901-2, and neither user nor producer want to see them. Still the fact is there that crossbred wools,if the product of England and America is coupled with that of New Zealand and the River Plate, are today being grown more largely than fine wools are, this being due entirely to a recognition of the increased carcase value of crossbred, sheep over the merino. - .. As everyone knows these crossbred wools are filling a- gap which merinos could never fill, and their general utility is now recognised the wide world over. Crossbred wools really start at 32's quality and range up to 58's, and are spoken of as being coarse, medium and fine. Plenty of buyers will say that coarse crossbreds really begin at 36's, and below that we come to the carpet stock. To a large extent this is true, as will be seen from the following table; in which I set out the method of classing crossbred wools:— Fine crossbreds 50's to 56's quality. Medium crossbreds 46's to 48's quality. Coarse crossbreds 40's to 44's quality. Low crossbreds • 36's quality and below.

LEADING DIFFERENCES. A collection of representative samples of the wools grown in the world, affords data for many comparisons. "Not ordy do we see a great .difference in quality,, as already said, but also in lengthy in: staple, as well asmany other- characteristics. The reader can easily see that wools only one inch long cannot be put to" the same purpose; as say Lincoln hogs, with ,a 12-inch•'staple, and vice versa. Then .each country's wool differs considerably in point of general appearance; growth and manufacturing capabilities. 'For: some purposes, English wools cannot yet be beat by even corresponding qualities grown elsewhere, while even Australian merinos rank as the best grown anywhere. The wools of Soutby Africa can well do with an improvement, for they are still far behind, generally speaking, those of Australia, notwithstanding they are of merino origin. New Zealand crosslbreds still outstrip those of the River Plate, both in spinning property and handle, though..if a manu-| facturer wants to make a fabric that handles sharp and firm like a serge,, then South American wools fill the bill admirably. One grand thing about the wools of the world is the good, general, useful properties, and sheep breeders have simply to encourage their flocks to produce the best wool; possible; by maintaining character and breed. In buying wool, every.user studies his special fequirements, and he seeks out that class of raw produce which most fully meets • his ideal. Herein lies the art of manufacturing, and it will pay any class of sheep-breeder to still maintain the maximum degree of excellence he possibly can. In the future, success will be reaped only by that man who looks after every point which determines both a good sheep and good wool, for the latter never did grow and never will upon a mongrel type of sheep. In the manufacturing world there is room for every class and quality, and^ whether it be bright Lincoln, crossbred, or fine merino, all alike can be put to serviceable use. To my thinking there are already enough qualities. The next step is that of consolidation, and a producing of the best. CARPET WOOLS. Carpet wools are not such a big representative class as other descriptions, still they fill a very useful sphere. In this article I touch only upon the Scotch Blackfaced wools, which are still almost entirely used for that purpose, at least so far as domestic wools are concerned. Other competitive wools are grown, but they do not excel for this purpose the wools grown in the North of England, throughout Scotland, and certain parts of Ireland. Like many other sheep men the wide world over, even Scotch sheep breeders this last five or six years have gone in for growing a thick, dense fleece, with a corresponding sacrifice of quality. America still proves to be a very valuable customer for these wools, and as bright a future is before - the Scotch sheepbreeder as any other class. Wherever one looks in the sheep-breeding world, ] it is impossible to overlook the for- | ward policy which is everywhere in ! vogue, and one rejoices that neither j sheep-breeding nor wool growing is j yet a decaying industry. Fair good | prices still obtain for the man who j takes a pride in seeing that his sheep grow good, useful wool, and this should be an incentive to everyone to do his best. THE FALL IN PRICES. As every reader knows, since last October prices have fallen rather seriously, and this is bound to affect a large number of New Zealand sheep-breeders whose last clip is yet to sell. It is very unfortunate that j this has happened, for twelve months j ago it looked as if values would not relapse seriously for a long time to come. But the fact is confidence is lost the wide world over, and nothing but fear and temerity occupies men's minds. It is simply the backward swing of the pendulum, and this re-, action is the after effect of three years' boom. Crossbred wools to-day are at a very useable price, but no

doubt the trade in every manufacturing country is suffering acutely from heavy losses entailed t upon the large purchases at' Australasian sifting centres, the Cape, and Buenos Aires. However, the sooner the bottom is touched the better it will be. In the meantime manufacturers seem, to think that prices now being so reasonable will create a demand itself, but we,are not likely to see this just yet, and confidence will have to return before there is any material improve* ment. ' '. . j COURSE OF VALUES. The past week has shown no improvement* whatever, and if anything prices are lower. A very depressed feeling prevails, and business is entirely absent. The following table shows the course of prices during the past month, and it is significant that almost every quality has fallen:— -

,A colliery explosion in Somerset is attributed to the ignition of dust during the process of firing a shot. 'A great Maujri demonstration; of welcome will form part of the programme on'the occasion of the United States Fleet's visit to Mrs Robert Watson, widow of a former Ohristchurch resident, has bequeathed a fund for pensions for New Zealand clergymen. The Emperor of Japan ihas thirty physicians and sixty priests.

' : © a> / © ■ a> -i - pCH Pm fsj &H 7 14 21 28 Description. d. d. d. d. Lincoln Hogs ... 11 1O£.1O£ 10} Lincoln wethers .,. 10 9f 9| 9| Yorkshire hogs ... 12 12 12 12 Yorkshire wethers ... 10£ 10£ 10£ io£ Narth hogs „. . ... 12^ 12^ 12| 12 North wethera H| 11 lOf 10^ Half-bred hogs... ... 12 llf 11^ 11J Half-bred.wethers ... !11¥ 11 10| 10^ Kent wethers ... llj 10| 10| 10i Eastern Counties Down tegs ... ... 12£ 12 12 12 Eastern Counties Down _ewes ... .,. 11-| llf 1H 11| Irish hogs, super *., 12^ 12£ 12 12 Irish wethers, super ... 12 11| 11^ 11| Pick Shropshire hogs... 12* 12^ 12^ ,12 Pick Shrop. wethers ... 12 12 12 11J Southdown tega ... 15 14| 14| :ii^\ Southdown ewes ... 14| 14£ 14 14 Wiltshire Down tegs ... 14 , 13$ 13.J 13^ Wiltshire Down ewes... 13f-13 13 13 Cheviot hogs,,super ..; 11 11 11 11 Scotch blackfaced ... 7| *1\ 7i' 7 Turkey average mohair 17 17 17 17 Cape firsts mohair ... 13£ T^J- V&\ 13 70's Colonial tops ... 28 2fe %1\ 27 64V „ „ .. 27 26J 26 26 60'a „ '„ super... 2^ 25^ 25^ 25^56'g „ „ ... 22J 22 21f.21$' 50's „ . „ , ... 18V 18 17i'l7i-. 46's „ „ prep'd 16 15-J- 15 14& 40's -,.' „ „ ... 13 12| 12 Hi 36's , „ „„... 12^ 11| 11$. 11 32's ' „ „ „ ... 12 11£ 11 11 40's English tops ...14 13113 13