“THIS ROMNEY BUSINESS.”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20500, 30 August 1928, Page 7

“THIS ROMNEY BUSINESS.”

PROFESSOR A. F. BARKER

EXPLAINS

REGULAR FIBRE PRODUCTION,

(Fuoji Oun Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 27. For several years Mr F, A. Aykroyd, a spinner of Bradford, has been attempting to persuade Dominion farmers to adopt a Wool pack that is not made of jute. He has also continued to make appeals to New Zealand farmers to give up the Romney cross, as a certain proportibu of the hairs are coarse. At a conference last week he made the remark that “he could hardly spin at all while this Romney business is gbing on.” He had to turd to South America for suitable woo's. He wondered if Australia and New Zealand were looking too much after their own interests, and not enough after those of the Empire. In continuation of this subject, Professor Aldred F. Barker, ol Leeds University, writes to the Yorkshire papers and endeavours to change the severe criticism of New Zealand. Romney wools from, a destructive criticism into a constructive criticism.

“ This would speedily be achieved,” he says, “if our Yorkshire combers and spinners woulu* rid themselves of the habit of being so forceful in opinionrather than insistent upon fact. In this particular case the opinion expressed may or may not be correct, but as ‘ opinion ’ it cannot carry conviction in the way that actual demonstration would carry conviction; and while opinion forcibly expressed may give rise to heartburnings, demonstration may carry conviction and thanks at the same time. It is not sufficient for» Mr Soilings to show examples of defective wool and debit these to the Romney breed as a class; neither is it sufficient for Mr Aykroyd to declare that if New Zealand wools do not improve he Will change on to South Americans—for he must know that the Romney is the basis of South American wools!

“ When the Empire farmers visited the university We were able to show them Romney (44’s), Romney (46’s), Leicestci and Corriedale New Zealand wools at every stage of manufacture, from the raw material to the finished fabric. “ Our report to the New Zealand Government is not yet completed, but. fortunately, it was so far advanced that we could usefully refer to the work already accomplished. “We did not minimise the Romney problem, but showed that sound Romney wool could be grown in New Zealand, and then attempted to set out the factors (possibly Mendelian) > governing regular fibre production, taking into account at the same time environment, including the feeding of th, stock. “The fundamental problem is a fascinating one, and I think it is fair to Say that bur visitors went away with a reeling of real interest, as against a feeling of resentment which would undoubtedly have arisen had the difficulty been otherwise tackled. THE WENSLEYDALE CROSS. We were able to show oUr Empire visitors not merely Wembley-merino cross Lincoln wool, but also Peruvian-merino cross Wensleydale- wool (Mr Aykroyd’s suggested cross in place of the Romney), and both of these wools illustrated from the raw material to the finished fabrics, three distinctive finishes being exhibited.

“Of the interesting points arising in the carrying out of such a range of experiments, 1 may just mention one. The Wemhley-merino cross Lincoln was combed, and the ‘top’ manufactured into worsted yarns and fabrics and the ‘ noil ’ into woollen yarns and fabrics. “ On testing the fabrics for handle, the woollen was at once selected as the best quality. On looking up the combing record I found that our comber had reported that he was getting a merino wool into the noil! This, of course, brings up the whole problem of the stability of the Corriedale wool in a most interesting way. “Incidentally, it may interest your readers to know that the Peruvian-merino cross Wensleydale is _ markedly superior to the Wembley-merino cross Lincoln. This year the Peruvian cross has clipped an 81 b fleece, and as the sheep themselves are really satisfactory, Yorkshire woolgrowers have an interesting proposition to face.”