OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 14

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, September 3. FAULTY AND INFERIOR WOOLS. Last week I dealt with the subject of medium to good wools, epitomising clearly what constitutes the class of raw material figuring under this description. To-day I feel disposed to consider two more wool terms —namely, faulty and inferior parcels, for these are undoubtedly prominent in tiie ■wools of the entire world. As I previously remarked, the trade appreciates something bordering upon the very good; but every practical sheepman knows the difficulty there is in producing average to good wools, climatic conditions, pasturage, and breed of sheep having to bo present in exceedingly good proportions if very good fleeces are to bo grown. No doubt it is good wool that the trade is always hunting after, because of the pleasure in workingup same, and also the excellence of the resultant fabric. It is a fact that there arc half a dozen buyers of good wools to every one wanting faulty and inferior parcels, and yet the latter cannot be dispensed with, and no one desires to do so. As long as the world lasts and sheep arc bred and roared, faulty parcels will always bo in evidence; only, everyone knows that it pays best to produce the average to good. When that cannot be done, a sheep-breeder has to content himself with growing as good as ho can, and it is here where faulty and inferior wools largely predominate. 'lh;s brings before my notice the subject already named, and in faulty and inferior wools wo have a big line of raw material which fills a useful purpose, and which itself occupies a postion in the wool world which even good wools cannot fill. INFERIOR WOOL DESCRIBED.

There is no doubt that we live in an age when very little indeed is thrown on to the scrap heap, and the present clay can bo styled as a time in the history of the world when odds and ends are redeemed —in other words, when nothing is lost, —even the refuse being turned to good account. That principle very largely obtains in the wool world. Wc have to face the fact that on all hands trades have been invented that take the bottom dregs, as it were. The question therefore arises, What constitutes faulty and inferior wools? These can be described as fleeces which are very warty, _ and also which contain some characteristic which renders the wool by no means a perfect sample. But even

in wool grown upon country which lacks those features which load to excellence, there is usually a certain part of the fleece which of itself is good, but of which, say, throe parts is faulty and inferior. This may be caused by bad pasturage, and particularly whore scodn, burrs, and other extraneous vegetable matter largely obtain. Really speaking, faulty and inferior wools are those wh'ch have been badly grown, which arc greatly impregnated with vegetable matter, and which in one sense or another are deficient in growth and appearance. After all, a faulty-grown wool is never a first-class manufacturing article — at least it cannot be taken and used for producing really good cloths. The writer has seen both merino and crossbred wool depreciated at least 2d per lb because of the faulty nature of the wool, an excess of yolk and sand, or earth, poorness of colour, the presence of large quantities of seed, shiv, and burr, all tending to produce faulty-grown fleeces. This is really the chief cause of producing wool for which an inferior price is paid, and it behoves wool-growers everywhere to minimise those characteristics as much as possible. HOW THEY ARE DEALT WITH.

It may seem strange, but no doubt there are inferior wools grown which are not impregnated with vegetable matter; but, as a rule, the two go hand in hand-. If wools aro poorly grown, and are only troubled with an excess of earth and sand, then the scouring process will eliminate these I features, producing a scoured product which j can bo used straight away. The writer has | often been struck with red earthy wools, j particularly from Queensland, being tender, notwithstanding that sheep have boon on I good pastures throughout the year. Wc j want to do the northern State of Australia j full justice, but should say that more | tender-stapled wools aro produced in j Queensland than in any other part of Australia. What is the cause? Various reai sons have "been assigned, but not to the ; writer’s personal knowledge has any connection been attached to tiie nature of the soil upon which sheep aic depastured. Every practical man knows that black soil is preferable to red soil for sheep-breeding; and yet there arc many excellent clips produced in Now 8011th Wales, grown upon very red soils, whim arc sound and always | come a good colour. But, somehow, tenderness in wool is a fault, although wo do not I include this feature in the subject which ! is now under consideration. 1 will leave i tender wools to be discussed on some future occasion. What I want to point out is that if fleeces aro somewhat deficiently grown, and they arc not impregnated with vegetable matter, then, after scouring, they can be used straight away, but otherwise they have to be dealt with by chemical or mechanical treatment. I should say that in nine cases out of 10 faulty and inferior wools are caused entirely Muring the process of growing. These wools, as a rule, consist of broken pieces, bellies, and locks—in other words, certain parts of the fleece which have become more or less impregnated with extraneous matter which sheep have picked up during the year’s growth. Merinos especially are troubled with vegetable matter, and if there is not present in them, say, burr and shiv, as a rule there is something that has to be dealt with either by mechanical or chemical treatment. Still, in the majority of cases faulty and inferior wools are those which have boon more or loss affected by what sheep have picked up during their year’s wanderings over the pastures, and before those wools can be worked up they have to bo treated in a manner that will rid them of these vegetable substances. It is not our purpose to-day to go minutely into the methods of divesting fleeces of vegetable matter. If the wools aro very burry and faulty, then carbonising or extracting is the principal method employed, the wools being treated with a weak solution of sulphuric acid and other chemicals, whereby tho vegetable fibre is attacked —really eaten away,—and then, after a further scouring, the wool is ready for use. Tho reader can take it for granted that whenever wools aro affected with vegetable matter, the same has to bo got rid of either by one method or another before the wool can be used.

FAULTY WOOLS AND THEIR USES. J now come to look at the purposes for which these inferior wools arc used, and' it is hero "where modern ingenuity, coupled With the excellent machinery at the disposal of the trade to-day, has wonderfully triumphed. When wool has been cleansed of all impurities, even very short stapled wools, like locks, be they merino, crossbred, or English, all servo a very useful purpose, and they are very extensively used in the manufacture of woollen and hosiery fabrics. As a rule, very faulty wools are never combed, unless it bo on the Continent, where undoubtedly short stapled wools can be put to a good purpose when combed on the Schlumbergcr machine. At the same time these wools, when combed, have to be spun on a woollen mule, the resultant yarns being very largely used for hosiery purposes. Really speaking, it is the use of these short, faulty wools which has made the textile industries of Belgium, I ranee, and Germany what they were before the war commenced, the big weights of mule-spun hosiery yarns being the product in a very large measure of these shortstapled faulty wools. But even aoart from hosiery yarns, very big Quantities of these wools are used by woollen manufacturers in producing tweeds and similar fabrics. Locks do admirably in the production of flannels and shirtings, and also other woollen materials, it being surprising what modern machinery can do out of such materials as faulty locks. At the same time it behoves every pastoralist to strain every nerve to produce a good fleece. There is certain to bo an abundance of faulty and inferior wools when a sheen-breeder has done his best; and while this can bo used and serves a very good purpose, yet everyone should endeavour to bring forth that which will bo a credit to himself and also help to promote the interests of the entire trade. The poor faulty wool will always bo with us in the trade, but the supreme interests of everyone should be to produce the best in every sense of the word. LOOKING TOWARDS COLEMAN STREET.

The trade is now looking forward with a fair measure of interest to the forthcoming London sales, which begin next 'Tuesday. Everybody is full of expectancy, hoping between now and Tuesday to see the Government announce what it is prepared to do in regard to the export of both merinos and crossbreds. I strongly contend that it is in the interests of the entire industry that the raw material should ho allowed to bo shipped to “safe destinations” with all possible speed, and it will do mfiiutc good if 50.CC0 bales of crossbreds are exported to our Allies and the United States. There is not much change in the price of tops in Bradford, and business continues to bo rather slow.

HAWKE’S BAY SHOW. NAPIER, October 20. The following championships were awarded at the Ilavice’s Buy show to-day: Mare, any age—Mrs J. D. Ormond. Single Harness Horse —H. J. H. Glazebrook. Shorthorn Bull—Douglas M‘Lcan. Hereford Bull —Ernest Short. Hereford Heifer —C. A. J. Lovett. Hereford Cow —Ernest Short. Holstein Bull—W. J. Lovelsk. Polled Angus Bull—A. G. S. Carlyon. Holstein Heifer —Walter Raymond. Jersey Cow —F. W. Fitzpatrick. Jersey Heifer—C. F. Goodwick. Lincoln Ram —William Perry. Lincoln Ewe —Mrs J. Drummond. Border Leicester Ram—Mrs J. D. Ormond. Border Leicester Ewe —Mrs J. D. Ormond. English Leicester Ram—Douglas M'Loan. Romney Ram —W. Perry. Shropshire Ram —W. Waynor. Shropshire Evyo—E A. J. Cooper. Berkshire Boar —Mrs J. Wall. Sow—Mrs J. Wall. October 21. At the Hawke’s Bay Show to-day the following championship awards were made: —• Draught Horse.—Mr P. C. Ward’s Newton’s Favourite. Saddle Horse. —W. Howard Booth. Romney Marsh Ewe. —G. E. Allen. Southdown Ram. —Janies Knight. Southdown Ewe.—Richmond and Fernie. Polled Angus Cow. —J. A. MacFarlane. Lincoln Ewe. —Douglas M‘Lcnn. EXPORTS OF PRODUCE. WELLINGTON, October 21. The exports of New Zealand products during the week ended Tuesday were valued as follows: £ Butter 3,463 Cheese 1,428 Frozen lamb 41,099 Frozen mutton 69,987 Frozen bocf, etc 99,352 Gold 10,000 Grain and pulse 228 Elides and skins ... 26.746 Kauri gum 11,109 Flax and tow 7.479 Tallow 845 Timber 7.084 Wool 38,746 SHEARERS’ WAGES. DISAVOWAL BY SHEARERS’ ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, October 19. In connection with the probability of prosecutions arising out of a meeting of shearers in Masterton recently-, at which a resolution was passed in favour of demanding 25s per 100 for shearing, instead of 20s, such resolutions being a contravention of the Act, Mr Laracy (secretary of the Shearers’ Union) states that his executive had nothing to do with the proceedings. No few shearers in one district had the privilege of saying what the whole of the shearers should do. His executive had not been consulted, and accepted no responsibility whatever for the meeting. FROZEN MEAT EXPORT INCREASED STORAGE. WELLINGTON, October 23. As showing the rapid clearance of the freezing stores, it is estimated that after the steamers at present loading have been despatched the quantity of meat available for shipment by November 15 will equal only 205,000 freight carcases. The steamers Karamoa, Rangitira, Kaikoura, and Star of Scotland will bo available to load this. The payments for meat purchases for the Imperial Government since the supplies wore requisitioned total over £5,500,000 — an average of over £70,000 per month. These figures indicate the manner in which

the freezing companies in the dominion have been relieved by the ample shipping facilities now available. No less than 11 freezing works are either contemplated or in course of erection, providing 90,000 freight carcases of space, and additions to the present chamber space will provide storage for 900,000 more carcases. Altogether in the dominion there will soon be storage accommodation for 4,000,000 freight carcases.