MASSEY COLLEGE

Opunake Times, 25 July 1947, Page 3

MASSEY COLLEGE

STUDY OF WOOL TYPES SHEEP ADVISORY SERVICE A post-war service for woolgrowers is being provided through extension of the Massey College fleece-testing and sheeprecording services which were seriously curtailed during the war years. Ihe enlarged scheme is known as the Sheep and Wool Advisory Service, the ■ value of which is being recognised by more and more sheep-farmers throughout the Dominion. Most farmers and breeders have not had the time to _ keep adequate flock records, without which it is impossible accurately to gauge the performance of any sire or any particular Hue of sires.*The College scheme provides the breeder with a confidential clerical service so that he may plan his matings to produce the best possible of stock wliicb will stand in high esteem with the return of competitive marketing. Another approach to wool improvement is being made through the testing of wool for hairiness and the supplying of reports on manv other fleece characters.

Results of investigations extended over a long' period into hairiness in wool have shown that this fault is much more strongly inherited than was formerly believed, and that environment does not greatly influence its development. Consequently, culling and selective breeding is the, logical approach to wool improvement in this respect, for the use of hairy rams can he expected to increase rapidly the incidence and amount of hairiness in the flock as a whole. Supplying of photo micrographs of the cross-section of wool fibres can give the breeder a clear picture of his -flock’s variability in fibre diameter —a point which, being highly correlated with length, is of importance to the manufacturing trade, and consequently to the breeder in the matter of price.

Both the dairy-farmer and the pig producer are benefitting from the knowledge gained from testing and recording, but little has been done in the sheep industry in this regard. There has yet to be ascertained fullv the respective parts played bv heredity and environments, so that the various characteristics of the sheep may be evaluated, and greater improvements brought about through the co-operation of breeders, manufacturers and scientists.