THE WOOL INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20235, 20 April 1929, Page 20

THE WOOL INDUSTRY.

EFFECT OF FERTILISERS. WEIGHTS OF FLEECES. Wool-growers in New Zealand, wool manufacturers, and those engaged in scientific research affecting the woollen and worsted industries, will be interested in the results of an exhaustive experiment in Australia, recently concluded, to determine the effect of the use of artificial fertilisers upon the fleeces of sheep, writes a correspondent. Wool manufacturers have lately complained that numerous Australian wool clips show signs of deterioration, which is attributed in some'quarters to the increased use of fertilisers.

Rome forty wethers of the CorriedaleMerino cross were selected for the experiment, and run on natural pastures and artificially fertilised land. The sheep were kept on the respective pastures from November 15 1927, until shearing. The fertilised pasture was heavily stocked at the rate ot five sheep to the acre, and the nftiural pasture at the rate of thrceqnnrter sheep to the acre. The result showed that the body weight of the sheep pastured on the treated land was 137.21b., as compared with 1171b. for the sheep on the natural pasture. The sheep on the treated pasture also gave more wool than those on the natural pasture to (he extent of lglb. Wool grown on (lie natural pasture, however, was the more attractive and showed an average cut of 12^1b., which, on the basis of a clean yield of 57 ptr cent., was valued at 23d. to 24d. Wool from the fertilised area was coarsu, but gave an average cut of 141b., which upon the basis of a clean yield of 59 per cent., was valued at 21J>d to 22d., representing a gross return of £6 8s 4d. pei acre. The trial showed, therefore, that artificial fertilisers will provide more wool, which, while worth less per lb., nevertheless gives a greater gross return as .the result ot the bigger weight. Whether similar treatment would be beneficial to the New Zealand wool-grower is a matter for consideration, the main point to be determined concerning the desirability or otherwise of risking coarsening the domestic wools when the trend of the demand is for higher quality.