THE CLASSING OF FARMERS' WOOL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2695, 8 November 1905, Page 10

THE CLASSING OF FARMERS' WOOL.

SKIRTING AND CLASSING.

As the shearing season is just- startiug a few remarks on the skirting and classing of the clips might assist the farmer. The farmer suffers a greater loss, in proportion, than the large sheepowner through negligence in packing his wool for market, because it is well known that even carefully got up farmers' lots, being small, do not realise the same price as larger lots of the same quality, and if badly got up will most likely be purchased by a speculator or' fellmonger who reclasses and re-offers them for sale, and as a rule makes a profit. Despite these facts, 'many farmers' clips are sent to market in a very bad state, with the result that there is loss of money to the producer. This is to be much regretted and seems most extraordinary to a buyer when a farmer prides himself on the particular sheep he has and the attention he has given to them, and yet places all descriptions of wool, including locks and pieces, together.

When a buyer asks a farmer why it is he never skirts the fleeces, the usual answer is that he " does not know how to do the work," or "it does not pay to skirt." The latter being the most common. In support of the latter the farmer argues that he gets much less for the skirted wool than the fleece, or else that his neighbour, who has exactly the same class of sheep fed on similar country, gets no more than his. neighbour who bales everything together. These two excuses are well worth considering. In doing so it is* perfectly clear that a farmer could not be expected to pay a skilled man to class his wool. But if the farmer uses a little common sense it ia quite sufficient. The second excuse is more important, and needs careful explanation. The wool might have been sold in a different sale, there having been either a rise or fall in the market, but what would probably "make the difference is that the neighhour's wool was most likely heavier ir» condition — i.e., contained . more grease andF dirt, which might not have been noticeable to the farmers, but to the buyer there might have been, say, 5 per cent, more waste, and the difference in the price of the wools would be £d on lOd.

j - This caso is quite common, and explains I many seemingly strange things in the sale [of wool. Further, it is impossible- to get a satisfactory price for a badly-classed wool. A. farmer* cannot get tho best results when he sends fleeces, skirts, bellies, locks, and strained all mixed together for jSale, or even when he mixes merino and crossbred together. Not only is this ! common, but the fleeces often get mixed | with chaff, etc., or arc tied with binder j twine, the latter being the worst article wool can come in contact with, as the hemp mixes with the wool and cannot be easily removed, thus passing through the manufacturing process until the cloth is milled, when the particles of hemp show up in the cloth, thus destroying its value.

Great care should be taken by the faxmer to see that the floor of his shed is clean, and that the floor is always kept well swept. The farmer should also understand how necessary it is to have his wool made attractive so as to draw the buyer's attention to it, and this can only be done by skirting, not deeply, but by simply taking off the dirty edges and fihby points. The fleece should also be woll shaken to remove 'all the seconds cuts. The fleece should then be rolled! reatly by throwing the neck in, turning the sides in, and rolling from both ends.