OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER (From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADEFORD November 4.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 9

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER (From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADEFORD November 4.

iDEVELOPING THE WOOL INDUSTRY; One "cannot . look at wool without feeling -that/ here wo'haTe i" commodity in which is I wrapped up the very life of Bradford, arid 'to a largo, extent th©~ teeming: millions, .o£- -ihe Week -llidin-g of- Yorksnire as "well. - I l have>",iried''tb imagine- many "a time 'this locality ' must have teen, n it had not had^th© fleeoe~oT the sheepr'to' manipulate, for- Bradford .does n,ot:seem able to, acclimatise or develop any other--industry rthan^' that of wool and "its' -allied' { n^anufactures. I suppose "we have- to go" bade '-two or -three centuries- itor"-fisd*"-the-.-beginning of J the wool industry of Worstedopolis.'and to-day it is hard -to believe that the maximum ha|s" been touched, Ido not think , that past ten - years has '• seen • very, much development in "the building iof ] new mills, but there has "certainly been j eome> increase -in consumption^ owing^ to the j fact tihat obsolete wool-combing, and spinning machinery has been replaced' ' with quicker-running' machines capable of doing more work in a given .time. ■ It is on" -this line that Bradford, during the past decade, has > shown considerable improvement, and to-day our mills^ and - factories are better' equipped than ever they were for handling wooh and. turning out the- same in good, Bound, -.fweerable -fabrics. ""Just at present" the shortage in merinos is somewhat troubling -wool-combers, but - apart from them; most' woollen factories 'jane Tunning full time, and tradfe on the whole is fairly good. In my .opinion^the modernising of wool plants, fitting, up" factories with the very latest machinery, is the best evidence poesible that can be adduced of ■ a healthy expansion in' connection with the wool trade of Bradford and neighbourhood.' . It has teen well ..said that South- Australian -merinos produce the best classes of worsted coatings that can poasibly.be made, and there is a. 'jgoodi deal of truth in the statement. * In the. case of New Zealand merinos, we. seldom find a tender-grown Bt*ple, and it -has been frequently remarked among buyers , that they very seldom indeed find .Among New Zealand .wool* any lade -of vitality in the staple. Practical •wool -men know that New Zealand 1 wools, if anything, usually are extra heavy in grease or yolk, and it is one of the inherent characteristics of a good, greasy fleeoe that it is alwayß sound in staple. I should say that New -Zealand wools, both tuerino and crossbred; c*n hold their otrjx

against all comers on^th'is^'one point, though,, it is right to say that Tasmanian wools ai;e also very sound. Now, because of their soundness, they are often mixed with both South Australian and Queensland in producing 60's tops, \New Zealand merinos acting , the- part of "thrpughs" when the blend is composed of something more short, tender, j and mushy. Then, too, the total freedom from burr is another satisfactory feature about New Zealand wools which cannot be said for any other Australian State "wools unless it be Queensland. Ido not know any single feature in connection with New Zealand merinos which goes to their condemnation, while I dio know that plenty of buyers bemoan the' fact that they now pome' to hand in such small quantities as tonaake them scarce and dear. West Riding woollen cloth manufacturers are. n very much prejudiced in favour of 'New Zealand merinos, on account of the cleanness of the staple when scoured, , and , less quantity of New Zealand woo l is extracted than any othei wool grown in Australasia or South America. Even the fact of manufacturers being able to destroy seeds, burrs, and other Vegetable matter should 'riot make growers oar&less about these objectionable elements being found in their wools, for the principle still holds good that the. cleaner " the wool the better the price, extracting always- causing wool* to perish a little iri iustre and strength. ■ On every* ihand_- merino^ 'wools', are to-day v iri excellent" demand iif- there" is 'a'ny^ "character -at" all .about, them, .end the few points' mentioned - are. still- weir -Worth the 1 consideration, of. I those -growing and handling merino- wools. '. 1 The. spinning of tender wools,', which has been such- a "feature of the last few Aus-. tralian' clips, bids fair to 'come -to' an -end" with the new' clip just being marketed.. Some Bradford ■ topma/k-ers and -spinners show a strong prejxidice for long combing Adelaide wools, but last season they were greatly deficient, a fault that wiHc.be rectified the next few months. - TBe old, old story- has been heard, that -the percentage of "noil" was too big, to the percentage" of "top," and when this obtains is bound to be increased cost. Av top combed" cut of tender mushy ' wool- is 'usually ' short, as well as deficient in style, colour, strength, and condition. , -*** v ■ j , COURSEOF The wool situation .doe? not ,«how much change when compared with a week ago, excepting, that ,the Vwar scare is off and that matters have assumed a normal aspect. Business .in tops continues -"to .be very restricted, and in view 1 ) of- what is /transpiring in .Australia ifr'd^es not seem likely that r mermos'-are - goi ig to make any. higher prices just yet, though 'there are no solid reasons on which to- found a fall. "Although a . good super 60's combing is nominally: quoted at 24d, ,a- spinner, can .buyifor .less.^» Consumption, if'^anytbing, is a little . increased, s but there', is a . ■■ lack of. -enterprise and go, and, not . until one can' .see more 1 machinery Running, 'jSdll •mornig3 -jpick up. Evidence is^ multiplied that» the '-opening * of -the. season" in" Australia, -'has .weakened , , prices ~'\ here, >, arid jjwhefher or .not ,values -^re "likely' to-'harden is questionable. ,- Crossbreds .' remarkably Htm, wool .-being ;scarce arid, wanted. /The .following table- shows the course, of rvalues' during the _ past riionth:— r. -- //.

FARM NOTES. DENTITION AS -AN INDEX, TO AGE :' . ' OF STOCK. , '•, , "^ ' Nowadays when " v 'early .-maturity is beingcuMvated in the case of 'all "breeds of stock "the dentition of farm animals ghows much more variation than.' was-' usual in v the. old days, when animals,- were "~ not forced- to. .'a, finish at any thing h'te" the ; high' rate of _ pressure' which 'lfcas J "of. late years heen/inin.. ' OneY^bf,. the consequeriees " of this -nigH-press\ire * system .of feeding _ has been, .that the leading" - show-proßooting bodies, in the Home Country — such a& the' Smithfield Club, the Royal, and, bthe? agricultural societies — have found it necessary to lay down special rules for the determination** of the „ ages 1 of such animals as are. exhibited at their shows. , The Royal Dublin . Society ,= in.'common - with the other leading agricultural bodies, has found it necessary to "adopt certain regulations- in "this direction. We t append herewith details of ."tooth - marks" which will be considered! as indicating th^^ges of cattle, sheep, and pigs at their fuTOre. shows; — —Cattle.— Cattle having their central permanent incisors out will, be considered as exceeding one year and six mpnths/ ' Cattle having their central permanent in- ' ofsors^-f ully up will be considered as exceeding one year' and nine, months. Cattle having their second pair of per"manent incisors fully up will be considered as exceeding two years and three months. -"-Cattle having their third pair of permanent^ incisors out vnW.^ be considered as exceeding' two years arid eight 'months. - Cattle having their —fourth "pair (corner) "permanent incisors, well up and' their molari showing signs of wear will be considered as exceeding three years. < - —Sheep. — ' Sheep having their / central o permanent incisors cut will be considered -as exceeding 10 months.- . Sheep .having their central incisors fully up will , be considered as exceeding 12 months. Sheep having their third pair of permanent incisors fully up and the temporary molars shed will be considered as exceeding 24 months. &hee& having their corner permanent)

I, incisors well up, and showing marks of wear, will be considered as exceeding three years. - " —Pigs.— Pigs having, their corner incisors cut will be considered as exceeding six months. Pigs having their permanent tusks more than half up -will be considered as exceeding nine months. Pigs having their central permanent incisors up, and any of the first three permanent molars cut, will be considered as exceeding 12 months. Pigs having their lateral temporary incisors shed and the permanents appear- I ing. will be considered as exceeding 15 months. Pigs having their lateral permanent inoisors fully up will be- considered as exceeding 18 months. THE INFLUENCE OF INFERIOR. BULLS. The mischief that results from the use of inferior sires of any particular breed j "to the popularity and prospects of that 1 breed cannot ■ easily be' estimated. , A writer in a contemporary cites a case -•■ in point, ' where, to his surprise", he found a builresembling, in marking and general character and appearance, the breed to which he -was supposed to belong, but anyone acquainted with the characteristics ,of the variety would have known to be a mongrel doing duty as, , a -purebred. -Every- breed is exposed to deteriorating influences of .this kind, though some may be more - so f than others,- but" ,-the . risk .might easily 'be overcome ■> if buyers or those', who hire bulls -'twere careful to insist on the duly . authenticated pedigree , being * pre'-'. •sented for inspection 'or handed over. -with; the animal. Of course,- the -presence ox 1 absence of a herd book pedigree will not alter .the quality of an' animal, as ■it is judged by the eye, but the pedigree is of the utmost importance in influencing the breeding qualities of a sire, 'and a moderate* bull .with ? good pedigree may prove a ■ more successful sire , -than a good-looking, animal with a-defective pedigree. Nothing could more seriously prejudice the reputation of a breed than the plentiful dissemination .throughou* the country, and particularly in parts *w,Kere the true points 'and merits of the breed are 'only imperfectly known, of sires" of inferior individual -breeding and quality. It must be confessed that tlje supporters of -some breeds -are exceedingly lax in respect to • this^ matter. They, -keep scores of animate entire, that are utterly unfit for breeding pur-" poses, but which, being cheap, find ready 'purchasers, and .in this way . incalculable mischief is wrought to the fame of that breed. ,'~The first step towards real and lasting advance is to eliminate and dis- . oouraige the use, of inferior sires. COLOUR OF THE NOSES OF SHORT- , ' HORNS. t A correspondent, in the ..Live Stock' Jour- ' naT calls attention to what he describes as the indifference of breeders, and judges of shorthorns to the colour "vjof^the -noses 'of the animals. vlnv In years' gone I>y ■a' black' 'or spotted, 'nose i was fatal to the chances of any animal of the shorthorn" breed in the- -ihowyarcl, but "Old BreMer,"' 7 who* gives -ventilation to the\ subject, (has "noticed that the' proper ideas 'respecting" clear 1 noses are . to become > less 11 ' 'rigid:. While it'"' may * 'be' possible "that", the' ..younger school of 1 breeders y. in the Home Country are less ( f aistidious' and exacting ~ in the matter of coloured ~'nbsee,. it would Hardly be' correct to say that the ' general idea. ,as to the marking of the "nose has undergone any shange. ', The /offended breeder states that when judging at a recent show> he what he otherwise considered the best animal because of its nose .being of a distinct blue. "But,", the Field observes, "we can safely say that his action is "by no means exceptional. On the contrary, incidents of the* 'kind are "almost off \ everyday occurrence, and many are the criticisms unjustly and hastily levelled, at judges who* adopt the same course by onlookers who have not troubled) to" examine- these finer, but ;importaitt, characteristics. ' Despite what is said by the -writer alluded "to, popular opinion has by no means, - become indifferent as to the colour of^the noses of shorthorns, .and breeders who- show such animals know better, than to'manifest'surprise when they see' otherwise meritorious animals put out of -the runnin-g because of this defect. l But if a^ black or blue nose is still strongly objected to, the same can scarcely be said of similar shades on the horns. Black or blue tips are common -enough 1 in ..the horns of modern show' stocks, v arid~~»althduglf the -^ innovation was rigidly , resented .at the outset, ' the "opposition ha© ► gradually subsided' in deference -yto- claims' •of utility, ' and it is possible that black m oses, may" come to be tolerated on -thesame'"grounds." '" ; '

„ TheTafanakr Herald states' that Mr G. Fair and his staff hav«£mef with, splendid indications of oils in _ the bore at Moturoa. On Thursday the indications from the dsbris - showed ithat the drill had gone through the sandstone formation and- had. entered a sort [ of slate, clay stratum, in which - the indica- j tions of' oil -and gas were more pronounced. 1 . j Mr Fair jS very sanguine that, he will -strike payable, oil in the bore when he resumes work after the holidays.

Description. I ■*»"' M ■ S 00 VI o O '4 O o ■ _ k Lincoln hogsts ... - ..„ Lincoln wethers ... ... Deep-grown .liores ' Deep^srown wfethers^ White *tii er hoggs - - White super wethers tosh' hoees Trith wethers ... '... >ShropBbire hoggs » ShTop^hir'- wethers „ .. ■ O'd'n'y halfbred hoges ...- 'dVy hf Ifbred wethers ... WUtohire Dnwn Jtegs •Wiltshire Down-twes ../ Super 60's, col. tops '■"rdinaryGO'Si-coi; tops ... OrriinaryWn, col. tops -... Ordinaiy <o's, col -tops . . . O'd'ii'y 60's, Buenos Ayre3 " tops ... „. - ... .'„ ', Turkey average mohair ... Cape firsts, mohair. <■. ■M v. 51* a» i' ill! 11 114 'Hi HI .11 12 12 24J 23* -17 14i 51* n 103 ! n^ I ] 'i iv 111 I? 1 J2 12 •?4. S3 17 141 23i 13J 12J P 12. '12 ;24. 23 17 Ul jB». fa* iil ,1112 ft lfis 141 234 m\ ,12J' 231 SB 231