IMPROVEMENT OF WOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20867, 8 May 1931, Page 7

IMPROVEMENT OF WOOL.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. BREEDING FOR HIGHER YIELD. PROBLEM OF COARSE FIBRE. Wool research problems wero dealt with by Dr. F. W. Dry, lecturer in agricultural zoology at Mossey College, when he addressed the Palmerston North Rotary Club. He stated that the aim of the work was to achieve something which could have a useful, practical application to the flocks, enabling the production of more and better wool than at present at the same cost.

Discussing methods, Dr. Dry stated that they had been associated with the weighing of fleeces. He stated that if sheep of, say. the age of two years were culled to eliminate those below the average weight of fleece, it would be found that next year the fleeces of those retained would be about one pound heavier. That was not a great discovery. It was only common sense. It pointed to the fact that it was hoped to achieve with the fleece of the sheep what the herd-tester was doing with the milk of the cow, but in the case of the former the problems to bo overcome were both complex and difficult Ultimately it was hoped to send from Massey College men able to advise on the right lines of breeding.

Kequirements of Trade. Problems connected with quality or kind in their broader aspects were discussed by Dr. Dry, who said that Bradford interests had indicated repeatedly that they wanted more coarse lustre wool of the Lincoln type, and wanted long length of wool, for which their machines were adapted. To bring that about it was necessary to change the inborn properties of the fleece by selective breeding. Dealing with harshness of wool, Dr. Dry said it was unpleasant and undesirable. From the practical point of view the major problems included the recognition of harshness. Some was readily perceptible, but other fleeces with this defect were not readily apparent to the farmer's hand, which was in most cases not delicately sensitive to touch. Harshness was due to irregularities of the surface wool.

Hairy Fibres. There were different kinds of hairy fibres. Kemp was obviously undesirable. Those fibres fell out in from six to eight weeks and were replaced by other kemps, hairy or soft wools, and this showed the complexities of the matter so far as anticipation of the fleece was concerned. "I believe that if the growth is vigor- | ous when kertip appears in the early stages, it is likely to follow on, but that if the growth is not vigorous then, there is likely to be good wool, instead of kemp later," said Dr. Dry, in expressing the hope that it would soon be possible to determine when an animal was three months old what the later wool was likely to be like. Research workers were learning to judge quite early in the life of the animal what the first fleece was going to be. It was hoped later to be able to determine the nature of the second and later fleeces by similar methods. Exemplifying the perplexities of inherent characteristics, Dr. Dry stated that if a lamb which was kempy at birth, but did not sustain that defect later, was crossed with another which was not kempy at birth, but whose wool had made the vigorous growth favourable to that condition, a lamb might bo produced which was not only kempy at the start, but reproduced that defect in later wool growth. Concluding, Dr., Dry said that breeding selection among sheep was being investigated both from the point of view of eradicating undesirable features and multiplying the desirable ones. Nothing creative had been attempted, but benzol tests had been conducted for hairiness and there had been research to secure detailed knowledge of tho construction oi fibre types.

OUTLOOK FOR BUTTER. IMPROVEMENT EXPECTED. STATISTICAL POSITION SOUND. "Although thebutter market has slumped badly since our last report, we still have every confidence in the future of the market." statos Joseph Nathan and Company, Limited, in a review of the dairy produce position under date May 4. "Our optimism is founded on the continued sound statistical position and it has been difficult in the face of this to find a reasonable cause or justification for the decline which has taken place. Weak selling by some buyers who had bought well earlier in the season and were content to quit stocks on arrival at slightly less than market rates certainly had .a depressing effect on the market for a time, but even so the fall should not have been so great. " Cablegrams just to hand from our principals adviso that butter stocks are only sufficient to last about ten days' consumption now ahead of arrivals. The market is v affected by the general depression and possibly finance,' but there are reasonable expectations of improvement. Cheese stocks are in a bad position, with weather still against consumption, and tho outlook is not encouraging. " As is only to be expected at this time of the year, arrivals in England 'will be lighter from now on, and it looks as if New Zealand butter will be in short supply, if consumption continues on the present basis. This should cause a hardening in values, and in anticipation of such recovery we have, heard of recent sales of April, May, June make at and even up to Is f.0.b., which is a fair advance on to-day's values. "It is pleasing to note the support given to the extension of the markets in the North of England for New Zealand and Australian butters, but it was reported in the local newspapers that of the two butters Australian was being preferred, owing to its better flavour, lighter colour and. lower price. It. has been further reported that Continental buyers also prefer Australian on account of its higher acidity, which is above the general New Zealand standard."

REPORTS OF MERCHANTS. Merchants report receipt of overseas cablegrams as follows: Dalgety arid Company, Limited:—The butter market is very slow. New Zealand, finest salted, 105s to 107s; Danish, 117s to 118s; Australian, finest unsalted, 104s to 106s; salted, 103s to 105s; G.A.Q., 98s to 102s. The cheese market is dopressed. New Zealand, white, 45s to 475; coloured, 48s to 50s; Canadian, white. 68s to 745; coloured, 70s to 765. New Zealand Loan atid Mercantile Agency Company, Limited. —Butler, 106s to 108s. Cheese, white, 46s to 48s; coloured, 50s to 525. Market very quiet SEARCH FOR OIL. The Taranaki Oil Fields (N.Z.), reports: —The erection of the plant of the Matangi No. 2 well at'Gisborne is well forward. It is hoped to be in a position to start drilling within the next few days.