FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 283, 3 November 1925, Page 5

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

PREPARATION OF WOOL. lIOW TO ROLL AND CLASS. (By Edward L. Lees.) There aro many ways of rolling or folding a fleece, and one I am about to describe being w’hat I consider the ideal way for showing the fleece to the best advantage and, at the same time, making it strong enough to keep in shape during tho process of baling. In my previous notes I mentioned that I was not in favour of showing tho best side to London and I have, therefore, thought out a way of rolling that gives tho valuer tho lirst sight of tho average length and fineness of tho fleece. I am well awaro of tho hurry and bustle of a shed at shearing time and, while one needs to bo alert and smart in one’s movements, there is no causo to get bustled. “Keep cool” and “bo orderly” aro two excellent maxims for this important work. Practice the movements hero mentioned in slow timo and get used to the order of doing tho work and you will lind the following the quickest way of rolling: The fieoco having been thrown on tho table, take off all tho skirtings as mentioned in my previous notes, commencing at tho brilch end and working up to the neck. When this operation is linished, fold back tho neck and shoulders right across tho fleece to a level of just behind tho foreleg; then, taking tho side of the flecco nearest you, turn it in for a depth of about six or eight inches. Do the samo to tho sido furthest away from you. Then pick up the side just handled and fold it right over towards you. This will leave the fleece without any points hanging loose and in a compact form. Now roll the fleece, beginning at tho britch end and, when tho operation is linished, you will find that tho wool uppermost is that of the side of tho fleece and, as this is an average, both in longth of staple and fineness, the buyer gets an average view of tho wool. Tho throwing in of tho neck strengthens tho fleece and also makes it very easy to unroll. CLASSING. For th oaverago crossbred flock, two or three main classes are all that is required, a line, medium and coarse, and those who have attended classes, or know something of their work, I would always advise to keep tho 46’s a finer wool separate. Thcso three main classes I would designate as 40’s, 44's and 46’s. If at all possible keep these separate, but if two main classes are being made, then put tho 40’s and 44’s together, but do not put tho 44’s and 46’s in tho samo class, principally for tho reason that the lengths of these two sorts aro so different; and a variation in length often stops bidding. Another reason for keeping 46’s and finer separato is that very often a buyer has an order for tho fine crossbred and cannot touch it, if tho longer and coarser wools are mixed with it. , < In notes of this sort the various classes cannot bo described _ minutely, so each wool grower must judge for himself as to his division of classes. There are, however, some classes of wool which should bo kept separato even if there aro very few. Every wool grower knows that the brokers make bin lots, so that should he have half a bale, or only a few fleeces of any certain land of wool, it can be binned with similar wools and sold as a line. First then, take out any discoloured or faulty fleeces. There are bound to be somo sheep in a flock, however, carefully it has been handled, that have not done so well as the others, and this is bound to be reflected in tho fleece. You will have culls, tender fleeces and those that look ill nourished. If you have a large flock and can make up lines of these, they can bo baled separately, but in a small flock all thcso off sorts can bo packed together and sent, to the broker for binning. If you have hogget wool, that is unshorn as a lamb, pack, it separately under all circumstances. There is a distinct demand at, all times for real hogget wool and, at times, a very keen one, and if tho wool is mixed with the shorterstaples, tho value is lost. There is no difference in valuo between hogget, ewe and wether wool when the former has been shorn. Naturally, tho hogget wool being young, it is somewhat finer, and more of this wouid go into tho finer sorts. Again, owe wool being generally softer in handling than that from wethers, it will sometimes bring a little more, when there is a keen demand for soft handling wool. In all cases cotted fleeces should bo kept separate. Some buyers will not operato if the clip contains cotted wooi, while colts packed separately, invariably bring their value. Comment has often been rnadq at tho slightest difference in price between cotted and free fleeces, and this has sometimes given rise to the idea that it is not worth while taking them out. It should be borne in mind that cotted fleeces aro generally very light in greaso and, ■ therefore, of more value per lb- than tho heavier conditioned wool, but I am satisfied that, in the cases under notice, neither lots would havo sold so well if tho .ctots had not been removed. Tho main object of classing is to havo all the wool of one class in tho bales so marked, so keep ail inferior fleeces out; don’t try and force wool into a higher class. On the other hand, if there is a doubt put the wool down. In this way you will find tho sorts more oven at the finish. A master that has been exercising tho minds of wool growers generally is that of the new wool packs. It is one of great importanco and deserves special mention. In tho meantime growers can greatly assist in tho proper packing of wool by taking tlie packs outside tho shed, turning them insido out and brushing them clean of all loose fibres. Wool buyers get to know brands of wool remarkably well and those clips that aro consistently well and honestly packed soon mako a name for themselves, and obtain increased competition, Sheep ounois tlicniseives pay this compliment to the intelligence of the wool buyer by their keenness in bidding for lines of sheep that they know will suit their purpose and that they knew have been well eared for or “well done” as they express it. 1 hat is the name the wool grower should get fur his clip. FROZEN MEAT MARKET. LONDON, Oct. 31 Following are the latest quotations for frozen meat ana chilled meats:— SHEEP. Canterbury, medium, 8d per lb.; li-cavy, 7-Jd. North Island, all 7jd. New Zealand ewes, OJd. Argentine, light 7}d, medium GJd, heavy Cxi; ewes, 6d. Patagonian, light 6Jd, medium 6Jd. LAMBS. Canterbury, medium lOjjd, heavy 10id, seconds 10i)d. Otner selecteus, medium IOJd. North Island, firsts 10|d. Argentine, new season’s light, Hid. FROZEN BEEF. Australian hinds, OJd. CIIILLED_ BEEF. Argentine hinds, 5Jd. Other descriptions are unchanged.— A. and N.Z. cable. < LONDON MARKET REPORTS. LONDON, Oct. 31. Cotton.—The Liverpool quotation for American middling upland, December delivery, is lO.lOd per lb. Rubber.—Fine hard Para, 45Jd per lb; smoked ribbed sheet, 48d. Jute.—Noveinber-Deceinber delivery, £GO 10s per ton. j£ em p.—October-Novcmber delivery, £39 per ton. Copra.—October-November delivery, £2B 10s per ton. Linseed Oil. —£38 per ton. Turpentine.—7os lO.jd per cwt. __ Antimony.—British, £BO and £BS per ton; foreign, £7O.—A. and N.Z. cable.

LONDON MARKETS. BUTTER SLOW; CHEESE QUIET. The Department of Agriculture has received the following cablegram, dated the 31st ultimo, from the High Commissioner for New Zealand, London, with prices as at that date:— BUTTER. Demand continues slow. Official quotations are: New Zealand: Finest salted, 212 s to 216 s per cwt. (Is lOijd to Is lljd per ll>.); unsalted, 212 s to 218 s per cwt. (Is 103 dto Is 11-Jd per lb.) ; other qualities, 202 s to 208 s per cwt. (Is f;Jd to Is IOJd per lb.) Australian: Salted, 204 s to 208 s per cwt. (Is OJd to Is 10Jd per lb.); unsaltcd, 204 s to 208 s per cwt. (Is 9fd to Is lOid per lb.); other qualities (salted and unsalted), 184 s to 200 s per cwt. (Is 73d to Is 9Jd per lb.) Argentine: Unsalted, 182 sto 186 s per cwt. (Is 7sd to Is 73d per lb.) Irish: Salted, 206 s to 208 s per cwt. (Is lOd to Is 10id per lb.); unsalted, 206 s to 210.< per cwt. (Is lOd to Is 10Jd per lb.) Siberian : 170 s to 180 s per cwt. (exceptional 182 s per cwt.) (Is 73d per lb.) Canadian : 200 s to 204 s per cwt. (Is 9)d to Is 93d per lb.) Danish: 218 sto 220 s per cwt. (Is 11 Jd per lb.) CHEESE. Market quiet. No New Zealand on hand. Official quotations are: English finest farmers (steady) l'4os to 145 s per cwt. (Is 3fd to Is Old per lb). Canadian: Coloured and white, 117 s to 118 s per cwt. (Is Old per lb). CASEIN. French rennet £76, Argentine Lactic £46. HEMP. Manila easier. “J” grade Novem-ber-January shipments quoted at £4O 10s sellers.' New Zealand market steady with an improved demand for higlipoints. Parcels afloat New York have realised £4l 10s. There are sellers higlipoints October-December shipments at £39, fair £36, possible buyers 10s less, buyers for common £34 10s, rejected £32 10s. Good business reported for tow, No. 2 now quoted £26, No. 3 £24 10s buyers. , “WOOL. Bradford market firm tone. Good business has been done. Present quotations are:—64’s (warp) Merino 4s 7d, 64's (average) 4s 6d, 56 s (super halfbred) 3s Id, 50’s (halfbred) 2s 4d, 40’s (prepared) Is lid. OATS- : Meet better enquiry. English in good supply. Best white quoted at 335, new spring’ white 30s. Inferior quality down to 21s Gd. No. 2 white American clip sold at 22s 9d. Nominal value New Zealand and Capetown Gartons 31s ,ex store. PEAS. Maple Partridgo steady, English making 555; best Tasmanian selling at 82s Gd to 95s ex store; New Zealand No. 1 not offered on spot, ScptemberOctober shipments offered at 755; enquiry for Bluo is not believed to have come from New Zealand or Tasmania, of which there are nominal value £lB to £l9. Small business has been done with hand picked Dutch at £2O. BEANS. Market quiet but steady. English selling at 45s to 50s. Chinese horse sold £ll 5s ex store. COCKSFOOT. Danish cocksfoot quoted at 80s c.i.f. Copenhagen. No business reported. TALLOW. Spot market quiet. Nothing doing for shipment. Present quotations are : Mutton: Fine, 49s to 49s 6d per cwt; fair to good, 44s to 48s; dark to dull, 40s to 41s. Beef: Sweet and ordinary mixed, 45s to 475; fair to good, 41s 6d to 44s Gd; dark to dull, 39s to 40s; mixed, fair to good, 41s to 445; dark to dull, 39s to 40s; gut, etc, 36s to 395. EGGS. Smaller arrivals and prices higher for the best. Steady demand for all kinds:—English and Danish, 29s 6d to 31s per long 100; Irish, Dutch, Belgium, 24s 6d to 28s; French, Italian, 20s to 255; Australian, South African, 18s to 225; Lithuanian, Argentine, Syrian and Russian, 13s to 17s Gd. ■ BUTTER AND CHEESE. CONTROL BOARD’S CIRCULAR. The latest circular issued by the New Zealand Dairy Produce Control Board contains (be following information: The total import's of dairy produce unto Great Britain for eight months ending 31st August were:

The total exports of dairy produce from the Argentine were:—July, August and September: 1922, 2375 tons of butter, 1725 tons of cheese; 1923, 3289 ions of butter, 1255—tons of cheese, 2050 tons of casein; 1924, 2120 tons of butler, 338 tons of cheese, 2804 tons of casein; 1925, 3514 tons of butter, 53 tons of cheese, 3348 tons of casein. The total exports of dairy produce from Finland for the seven months ending 31st July, 1923, were 8782 tons of butter and 450 tons of cheese, 1924, 5281 tons of buffer and 1293 tons of cheese; 1925, 8689 tons of butter and 2329 tons of cheese. The tolal exports from Canada were: From Ist May to 12lli September, 1924, 90,199 packages of butter and 696,324 boxes of cheese; 1925, -243,935 packages of butter and 847,628 boxes of cheese. Shipments from Australia from July Ist to 24tli October, 1924, were 8166 tons of butter and 749 tons of cheese; 1925, 6673 tons of butter and 318 tons of cheese. Shipments from New Zealand from Ist July to 31st October, 1924, were 10,752 tons of butter and 9560 tons of choose; 1925, 6046 tons of butter and 1364 tons of cheese. Note: In 1924 a large quantity of cheese was held over and shipped in July and August.

BUTTER. 1923. 1924. 1925. Cut. Cwt. Cwt. Russia 4,367 186,492 199,205 Finland 97,941 90,995 116.450 Sweden 32,817 43.301 45,931 Denmark 1,253,584 1,169,083 1.114,328 Netherlands .... 94,155 69,512 53,696 France 77,284 6'.9S2 15,842 United States ... 10.325 4,456 10,965 Argentine 360.173 418,544 331,934 Irish Free State 301,506 316,203 236,624 Australia 454.295 414,927 .914.405 Now Zealand ... 936.237 032 Pi8' J . 1,095,854 Canada 4.311 15,792 102 852 Other countries 56,359 46,0 70 42,965 Total 3,633.354 3,613,209 4,231,100 CHEESE. 1923. 1924. 1925. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Netherlands .... 133.553 106,764 88,448 Italy 65,382 90,558 lOt,251 United Stales ... 37,312 11,488 11,905 Australia 39.284 30,287 69,804 New Zealand ... 1.206,265 1,304.031 1,260,153 Canada 590.360 359.694 564,296 Other countries 49,371 31,773 31,525 Total 1,928,032.1,934,595 2,133,442