WOOL WASHING.

Otago Witness, Issue 879, 3 October 1868, Page 14

WOOL WASHING.

(From the Dubbo Despatch.)

With the shearing season so ilose, and the knowledge before us that unless squatters p*y considerably more attention to the getting up of their wool for market, they will be great enemies to themselves, we shall he pardoned if we devote a small space to again urging upon sheepowners the necessity of doing something, -while there is yet barely time, towards making arrangements for turning out in good style the next season's clip. Of course, it is too late now to think of introducing this year any extensive apparatus j but, _at all events much can be done in adding to the machinery at present in use, and in changing the mode of washing. There has always been a great objection to radical changes of any description. People never care to forsake a track they have long travelled on ; and, in nine cases out of ten, ■ey«» though they be convinced of the supe''•nfcy of the new, they cling to the ** *«a 0 with almost foolish pertinacity. old v. • -v^ere, BB ■""*& politicians, &c, W * th x T olfc> • **« «NW/ JfrWYW; * he f e thw fading is *, ""-,/,',

*a "breeches-pocket" argument in fanr of changes in the mode of preparing the staple which cannot be withstood. The London brokers — the men who are the best judges of the matter — say that unless the squatters of Australia send to England wool free from dirt, they 'will be outpaced in the race by the Cape settlers, and the South Americans. It is also worthy of remark that the decline in price which j

took place last year was confined principally to greasy and semi- washed wools. We contend — and every intelligent squatter will agree with ns— that the paatorialists cannot atford to treat with indifference these echoes which almost every mail brings to ns from the world's great mart. The sheep owner's position is nob now the most brilliant ; his fat stock do not, as in the " good old times," fetch 20s per head ; his rent and assessment are higher ; wages and rations are as dear ; and, therefore, no chance can be thrown away. In order to be successful, the growers of our principal staple mußt turn everything to the best account. That the majority do not do bhis, but rather allow the profits that should accrue to them to find their way into the pockets of the manufacturers, we are thoroughly convinced. The wool is sold at a rery inferior price ; and the purchaser 3ets ajt once to work and thoroughly prepares it, adding by the process fully twenty - five per cent, to its ralue. That we are not making random wsertions, we may mention an instance which recently occurred in Victoria. The squatters of two adjoining stations sent their respective clips home last season. "The ;wo stations are of the same natural character Hid quality, being portions of the same geological formation. The ordinary station sheep are very similar in quality, ages, and sexes. The wool on one station was washed with hot water, soap, and soda, and the wool on the other was well washed in cold water in the old way. After deducting all expenses on both clips, the net results in London were as follows : — ' The sheep washed with hot water and spouts yielded ihree-quarters of an ounce less of wool per dead .than those washed with cold water and without spouts. But the former netted Is tyd more of money per head than the .atter.' " This is surely sufficient to prove ;o the most sceptical that squatters who do lot adopt the new plans of washing are keep* ng money out of their pockets. In this district we know of instances where imperfect washing has seriously mili;ated againßt the clip. A squatter, who has spared no expense in improving his breed of jheep — and intends, we are happy to say, to " go in" largely fer the best of machinery — sent to Ingiand last year a heavy consignment ; yet, although as regards quality, :t was the very best he had ever had shorn, it fetched a far lower price than much inferior clips. "What was the cause ? The decline in the prices of wool generally, some will say ; but the truth is bhat the staple was only half prepared, and ransequeutly those wools which were more St for the manufacturer — though of a decidedly inferior quality — found more favour with the gentlemen who " most do congre- j *ate" about Basinghall street. Quality, without the wool itself is well got up, goes tor nothing. We may import and purchase Rambouillet, Negretti, and the purest of Merino sheep ; but if we do not also pay attention to washing and scouring, we cannot hope to obtain good prices from bhe most canny of mortals— the buyers [or the mill owners in the midland counties and the foreign markets. The remedy is easy of access. During the last bwo years tbia subject has aroused so much attention that all sorts aad sizes of machines, Bit prices suited to the means of the owner, of from 1000 to 100,000 sheep, can Tbe obbained in either Sydney or Melbourne. Already Messrs Bayly and Eouse, of Mudgee. have started in the path of progress; and we hope to be able this time next year to state that nearly all the woolgrowers in our immediate district have followed their example. We venture to assert that in one year, on a large establishment, more than the cost of the necessary apparatus would be saved, A squatter in the southern portion of Biverina caloulates that by the uss of an improved Bystem of oleans ing, at least sixpence per fleeoe will be saved. Thus the owner of 50,000 sheep would be a gainer in one shearing of L 1250, and this, we are assured, would more than pay for the erec-

A magnificent tract of pastoral country has i^een recently opened up in the Buckland district. The Alexandra Courier gives the following account of it : — Time only will reveal the importance of this exploration, as it has opened up a stretch of splendid country over 2000 square miles in extent, which has been hitherto for all practical purposes a terra incognita. The character of the country is extremely diversified, consisting of broken ranges and well watered fertile valleys. There are five large streams intersecting the land, besides innumerable small creeks, which offer every inducement to the agriculturist to try his fortune. The indications of auriferous wealth abound everywhere, and it is well known that adventurous prospectors have discovered gold, both in alluvial deposits and quartz reefs, but with the exception of one or two parties who are at work on the King river, these discoveries have not yet been turned to- any account. Between the King and Buffalo rivers j there are innumerable quartz reefs bearing j gold, some of them of enormous size. Mr j Rieok mentions one in particular near the j Buffalo, which measures on the surface, ha- i tween 0Q and 60 feet in width,, " !