Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 925, 21 August 1869, Page 16

Agricultural Pastorat.

' ' CLA|S^gvWX)OL.' , rl . ' \ ,;„ , : ; In answer to' certain' queries by V woolgrower in New Zealand, as tothe classing of wool, a correspondent of the Australasian, who was a manufacturer .and woolstapler m England, and a wool-classer m 'Victoria, writes;:— „ , ■ s .. > ■ ( "Iconsider-thebenefituof classing wool to be in proportion to the character of the flocks. I should take the average of good flocks ,to yield 50 per cent, of combing wool ; there Jray'be some as low as .30, and a few as high as 70 per cent. I estimate the combing wool at 2d. per lb. more than the clothing, each kind being of the same , quality ; t from the wool- grower's returns he will be enabled to aay whether I err or not ; this could be easily proved by the prices of English and Irish wool (which is good combing) in comparison with Oporto, East India, > Magadore, South America, and other low wools, equal in quality to the English, but not combing wools. "I would take the ayerage price of clips, in this colony that are worth classing at 2pd. per lb., that is £20 for 2401b5., or a- i>ack' (ft customary and .useful term in England) ; if one-half of the24olbs. realises 2d. per lb. more, that of course will, be Id., or £5 per cent. 1 on the whole. , •• You will perceive from the above how awkwardly the worsted spinner would be situated were the wool, not classed, for to supply himself with 100 bales of combing wool he must purchase 200 bales of unclassed wool ; what he cannot use, of course he resells to the cloth manufacturer. By classing, the cloth manufacturer is also benefited, as he can at once buy what he requires. I have attended the London sales many years, and know that many cloth manufacturers at.tend there who look for particular kinds of wool only, and which they would not be abld to find were the avool not classed. " As to the cost of classing, the price generally paid is £1 per 1,000 fleeces and, lambs. I estimate the 1,000 fleeces at £250, thus £1 on .£250 is Bs. percent ; this 8s.; I think, may very reasonably be excluded if there is taken into consideration the services of the classer in winding, seeing the -wool properly pressed, various other little duties necessary to be done, and the desire of the cloth manufacturer to have wool classed. I thus conclude that the loss is nothing, and the profit £5 per cent." .