CLIP TOO LIGHT.

Northland Age, Volume 26, Issue 49, 27 April 1927, Page 3

CLIP TOO LIGHT.

ADVICE FROM WOOL BUYER

BREED FOR DUAL PURPOSE

In the majority of cases, the sheep-farmer of New Zealand does not attempt to meet us in regard to the quality ot his wool He goes in for meat quality first and wool quality second. Such was the answer given by a prominent wool-buyer to the question : How do the buyers regard the New Zealand clip ? The best lambs go out of the country he continued. The oldfashioned flock seems to be no longer existent, where the owner used to replace his ewe lambs before he sold any lambs at all. This idea seems to have disappeared with the cutting up of the big stations, and the consequent disappearance of many famous stud flocks where breeding went on consistently as a sound policy. GETS A BAD BARGAIN

I have attended a good many ram fairs in this country, and one thing I have noticed which ought to be stopped in the interests ot the flocks of the country. You see a very poor type of ram, maybe a small proportion of the lot, offered for sale. While the decent flock rams in the auction sell for thrfce guineas or so, these wasters are knocked down for a ‘quid,’and this suits the small cockie. He never got a worse bargin! He should never be allowed to use such stuff. I feel certain that a good many farmers in New Zealand are not careful enough in culling their ewes, and they are certainly not careful enough in many instances in selecting the most suitable type of ram for the ewe. Looking at it from the point of view of the man who wishes to get the best quality from the fleece we buyers are disappointed with the New Zealand wool clip to-day.

It would be valuable to the wool grower to know exactly in what respect he falls short of the buyers’ requirements, I suggested. WHAT BUYERS REQUIRE

“The New Zealand wool is getting too light,” was the prompt answer. "It is getting too openaired, instead of being bold and bright full of body. They should use stronger sheep wether Romney, English Leicester, or Lincoln, with very line Romney ewes and fine Romney rams on the coarse ewes. Such a plan would produce the wools of years ago—good, bright, lustrous and deep grown. The bulk of the wool from this market so far as Bradford and America are concerned, is becoming too short in staple too “airy!” There is not the brightness and solidity we used to have from New Zealand wool clips of 10 c* 15 years back. Lamb is their first consideration but I hope the growers will take the advice to heart, because it is possible —it has been done in the past—to breed a good dual purpose animal. Rams must be bought suitable for the ewes, and it is no use buying any sort of rubbish because it is cheap at the time.”