WOOL NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 23 November 1938, Page 9

WOOL NOTES

1938-39 SEASON I ROSTER OF SALE DATES j The following roster of sale dates for ! the 1938-39 season has been drawn up j by the New Zealand Wool Committee: November 26 (9 a.m.). —Auckland. December 2 (9 a.m.).—Napier. December 7 (9 a.m.). —Wellington. December 12 (9 a.m.). —Christchurch. December 16 (8 a.m.). —Timaru. December 20 (9 a.m.).—Dunedin. January 9 (9 a.m.). —Wellington. January 14 (9 a.m.). —Napier. January 19 (9 a.m.). —Wanganui. January 24 (9 a.m.). —Auckland. January 30 (9 a.m.). —Christchurch. February 3 (2 p.m.).—lnvercargill. February 8 (9 a.m.). —Dunedin. February 15 (9 a.m.). —Wellington. February 20 (9 a.m.).—Napier. February 24 (2.30 p.m.).—Wanganui. March 3 (9 a.m.). —Christchurch. March 7 (8 a.m.).—Timaru. March 11 (2 p.m ).—lnvercargill. March 16 (9 a.m.). —Dunedin. March 23 (9 a.m.). —Wellington. March 27 (9 a.m.). —Auckland. March 30 (2.30 p.m.).—Wanganui. April 3 (9 a.m.). —Napier. April 14 (9 a.m.). —Christchurch. April 19 (9 a.m.).—Dunedin. April 24 (9 a.m.).—Wellington. THE WOOL CROP According to the Government j Statistician, a pre-estimate of wool • production in New Zealand for the | 1938-39 season gives a total of i 305,000,0001 b. on a greasy basis, compared with a final figure of | 296,800,0001 b. for the 1937-38 season.

HOPEFUL SIGNS

WOOL TRADE SITUATION ; It is argued that although no one can see far ahead some reassuring pointers are helping to build up a wool trade situation more hopeful than existed a few weeks ago (comments the “Otago Daily Times”). Figures have shown that shipments from the Australian market in the first three months of the current season are considerably better than a year ago. and this offers a reminder that, as compared with the fall in values in progress at this stage of last season, wool for the greater part of the present year has shown surprisingly little variation. The result is that, notwithstanding political conditions in Europe, which might be much better, importing trades are at least able to operate with a good deal more confidence than was possible in the early part of the 1937-38 season. A second feature is that deliveries of tops in Yorkshire continue to show a welcome improvement in volume. Some leading firms find that deliveries last month (September) were almost twice as large as in June, and the rate on delivery now maintained confirms the best point of September. For some time the call for crossbred tops has, in the experience of many firms. exceeded that for merino sorts, but the latter are now enjoying better demand both on home and export account. Although deliveries on the whole have often been belter, there is definite encouragement in the improvement lately in evidence, which automatically shortens the life of contracts on the books and brings new purchases correspondingly nearer. The greatest difficulty of the topmaking trade, though by no means a new one, is to make prices for the combed article which will fit the prices which have to be paid for wool bought over-

THREAT TO WOOL

STAPLE FIBRE INCREASE RESEARCH AID NEEDED EXPENDITURE OF LEVY According to Mr J. P. Abbott, a member of the investigatory committee sent overseas by the Australian Wool Board to study the competitive threat to wool from staple fibre, wool consumption in Germany has decreased by more than 100,000,0001 b. a year, while a proportionate reduction has occurred in Italy. Japanese wool consumption appears likely to be curtailed in the coming season by at least 120,000,0001 b, while British exports of raw and semi-manu-factured wool and wool textiles to Germany and Italy have declined to a fraction of their former volume. British wool exports to Germany, which amounted in 1928 to £18,000.000, had declined by 1936 to £5,000,000. It is a regrettable fact that, in spite of the precarious future which natural wool now faces, and although it still remains one of New Zealand’s most valuable exports, neither Government nor sheep farmers’ organisations provide any financial support for the valuable research work in wool and wool faults being conducted by the Wool Research Department of Massey Agricultural College, the only wool research institute of its kind in New Zealand. SELF-RELIANT The wool research department has since its inception, had to depend entirely upon what it could earn from services rendered to breeders in the examination and classification of their wool as regards medullation or "hairiness.” Even the amount raised by means of a levy of 3d a bale on wool, which was to provide funds for wool research and publicity, has been devoted solely to publicity. This attitude of the New Zealand wool growers to research is pointed by Mr Abbott’s concluding remarks. He said: — “In Germany we found industry worshipping at the shrine of science, ever seeking further improvements and always advancing. Some people may regard all this with complaisance and say

that ‘wool is wool.’ and there is no danger to our industry through staple fibre. I am afraid that what we saw we did not regard in this light. Such skill, such determination, made me feel more and more that wool growers are definitely on the defensive, and that we must, if we are to survive do everything to protect and push the use of our product.”

NEW ZEALAND FRIESIANS

IN THE MERIT LIST The value of pedigree and the high potency of Friesians are both shown very clearly in a recent month's milk and butter-fat returns in the merit list conducted by the New Zealand Friesian Association. In this particular case three full sisters produced the highest return? in the junior and senior two-year-old and in the three-year-old divisions. Their respective yields were 57.41, 61.88 and 72.071 b of butter-fat, constituting a most noteworthy performance for one of the worst winter months in New Zealand. Research on the pedigrees quickly showed that such consistency was due to sound breeding. On the sire’s side the granddam is a 6651 b cow. which, incidentally, won the North Island show championship in 1934. Their dam has just completed a record of 5431 bin 305 days. She carries several strains of Burkeyje Sylvia Posch, which, of course, explains a lot. as that cow was indeed notable not only for her great milk and butterfat returns, but also for the regularity with which she passed on her qualities to her progeny After producing her first calf, she remained constantly in milk for over 11 years. From her first test while under two years she yielded 5051 b. 6101 b, 6801 b, 7321 b, 9831 b, 7111 b and 8641 b of butter-fat. During these tests she produced 12 healthy calves. Many of her descendants found their way to Victoria, establishing important blood lines of heavy producers. That great Vic-torian-owned Springfield No. 9, now deceased, which was one of her descendants, gave 21.2091'b milk and 859.521 b of butter-fat in 273 days under Victorian Government test. The enormously beneficial effect which one Friesian sire or dam may have on the breed is brought home most forcibly in research work such as this.