OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 6

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

Bradford, June 5.

"WARP AND WEFT.

Cour.igo sheepmen, both at Home, in tlio colonies, and in America. There is melody in tho tinkle of the shecpbells even now, X say down with shoddy, and the way to get it down is for every woolgrower to refuse lo buy cheap, shoddy-made clothing. Tho goldon-hoofed merino is to the front, and will be for the next few years. A 101b fleece is not a bad thing after all, especially when it covers a well-rounded mutton carcase. Th^ss nasty follows svhq have lately been calling

•Wool a "by-product ' will bo hurrahing for " wool and mutton ' a year hence. Jxeep your weather eye on your would-be agent, ■and don't fall into the hands of a Philistine.

Chilling by any cause, especially within tho prcgpa'it eu'c by drinking- cold water, is to be c.ifefully avoided ns disaster may result. 'The iwrpose of the grcr.se and yolk' in wool is to protect the m ; oo1 and the animal as well .froi-i the weather, to shed rain and temper the cold winds of winter. Hore is an •explanation of the fact that the feeding of a flock should be done wisely and in accordance :nifcli the special needs of the sheep. When the time of the year has arrived that the sheep-farmer cannot change the growth of tLe ileec«, he still has it in his of the fleece, ho still has it in his perhaps thereby retrieve some errors of the year. The growth of a fleece includes its inherent and essential qualities, the condition includes its external and accidental qualities. A well-grown staple is long, sound, smooth, true, and of oven diaTiieter throughout its entire length ; free from " breaks " or weak places, is of good -felting and working properties. A well-con-ditioned staple is bright and light, that is, not dark and heavy with yolk and earthy matters. Now, if any slicepfarmer has been so unfortunate as to have hid sheep pass through a bad season, and his clip is consequently V off " and in bad order, let him wash it before marketing, and by good scouring, neat skirting and folding, ho will be able to •retrieve materially its lost characteristics, the T.ool selling far better than il marketed ollier-ivi'-c.

Crossbred is a term applied in a. very wide <sci-b3 throughout all sheep breeding circles. Everything- that is not merino .is crossbred in the general application of the term. Even the purebred types of coarse wool have this generic term applied to them, and the statement is often misleading. Correctly speaking, the word crossbred signifies a type of wool re.•siilting from the crossing of two distinct breeds together, such as the merino and Lincoln, or Xioicester and Cheviot, or any other two breeds

Lustre is a term applied to the metallic ,gl:oen peculiar to the wools of the long- coarse varieties. A merino wool when in tiptop condition has a bright appearance, but this is -quite distinct from lustre.

Sr/A'NEBS' TACTICS.

Taking cognisance once again of the staple trade of this centre, it must be said that wool •matters show no change. Trade lately seems to have shrunk into very small proportions, and it is here freely expressed that not more than 40 per cent, ol the tz-ade staplers usually do is to-day being turned over, and what has lal'jlv boon changing- hands shows no profit at all. There are scores of topmakers to day who have hundreds of packs of toj>s which, liad they to accept present offerings, would show n dead loss of per lb. This last fortnight, if tho truth must be told, great pressure has been brought to bear upon prices hy sr>it:ner.-i who are making the most of this prolonged stale of inactivity to get prices down to what they call "a v/orking level." The opinion has lately become more general that Bradford can never rise to any respectable slate of activity until we get back some of our lately lost Continental yarn trade. From Germany especially, vavn spinners •continue to report por&istent inquiries, but the tallttess in price blocks the -way and stops all likelihood of any business at present rates. Hence it comes to pass that a bold attempt is being made to get down values further in the hope of being able to -meet the indispensable and valued Continental trade. Then too our ordinary worsted yarnspinner.-; are handicapped in the same way, in not being able to meet the wishes of our worsted coating manufacturer!:. Under present conditions our Clay coating makers cannot delner pieces to shippers, nor land them into the hands of their best customers in America, as clieap as can be had by American importers from the Stales manufacturers ; and our manufacturers are buoyed up with the notion tiiat importers in America would still favour Bradford makes if they could be landed at the same price as is being paid to 'the United Stales manufacturers. These facts jilor.o are accountable for the state of mind of our spinners and coating manufacturers, and both combined they seem determined to c;ct cheaper yarns and to make another bid for what is characteristically called " lost supremacy," But after all values remain faii'ly steady and firm in all fine merinos and croos-Lred.-i. Topmakers hate. long been used to the cry 'of "woif, wolf!" and believe that by holding firmly to their stocks an ultimate triumph will be their?.