OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 13

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

GROWING WOOLS FOR TOPMAKING PURPOSES. (From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, June 28. Three South African sheep farmers were greatly interested in s the course of wool when being shown round Bradford last week, its movement through the various processes of nianufacturing being to them a revelation. Each one was familiar with th * production side of the business, but being leading sheep breeders and producing a clip of wool that certainly is creditable, they naturally wanted to. know what was done with, the clip when it was received at the centres of manufacture. The writer has always maintained that it' will 'bay any. woolgrower, whether his fleeces are merino or crossbred, to pay a visit' to any mill where wool is converted into cloth, for then he

will see the importance and the necessity of producing good fleeces, and it will reveal to him also the weakness when his fleeces are badly grown and tender in staple. There is education for every sheepman looking through a mill, and particularly to see wool worked up on the worsted principle. I say this because 75 per cent, of the world’s wool is worked up in this way, although I would also advise every grower to see wool worked upon the woollen principle if the opportunity presents itself. Sorting, scouring, and carding are carried on exactly the same in both principles of manufacture, but here is the dividing line for wools worked up on the worsted principle. After being carded they are combed, whereas a carded sliver for a woollen yarn goes straight from the woollen cards to a woollen mule. The difference between the two principles is that where a worsted yarn is wanted the fibres of wool are placed parallel to each other, whereas on the woollen principle the fibres are worked up with every cross section imaginable being in evidence. Both systems are exceedingly good, and, of course, the woollen system ‘is the oldest. A woollen yarn does not possess that smooth, level surface of the worsted yarn. Colonial pastoralists will be wisely advised to seize the first opportunity of getting through a mill where combing and spinning are done. TOPS AND TOPMAKING. Naturally the greatest surprise of all centred around the combing inacniue. This process seemed to absorb the visitors’ attention, the delicate workmanship of the machine itself surprising the onlookers. Never having been in a mill before, they were greatly surprised at the noise and the clattering machinery. To see the wool go on to this machine in a sliver and to come out at the other end as a beautiful combed top with every fibre straight and parallel almost took their breath away, and certainly the process is a unique one. To the uninitiated the operation itself is marvellous. How wool can be taken by quick-moving machinery and the long fibres automatically separated from the ,hort (the latter consisting of noils) is what sheepmen are at a loss to understand. Of course, every operation in the world, no matter what the sphere in which it takes place, must be judged by th e results. They could see for themselves that the noils consisted of the short fibres, separated by a quick revolving oimraCon of the circle of the comb.

It is not the writer’s intention to describe the operation of combing. It is essentially one of a technical niuure, ai.a the construction of a combing machine is of little interest to the sheepmen; but the production of tops is all-im. ortant, and this is what I want to direct attention to to-day. Tops are simply combed wool, and, as already said, the long fibres are separated from the short iff the operation of combing. Every sheepman has probably taken a staple of wool and examined it carefully. If not let him do it the next time he shears. I wish every sheepman would take a handful of wool from half a dozen sheep, and carefully examine it in the cool of the evening when the light is good. It would pay him to get a sheet of black paper and draw out every fibre of a single staple, laying them out separately on the paper. He would be greatly surprised with the difference in the length of each fibre, some being short, while others are, say, 3in to 4in in length. The same obtains if a crossbred staple is taken; in fact every staple of wool has both long and short fibres. A combing circle is so set that what is known as a big noil or a little noil can be made. If it is desired to leave in the combed sliver as much fibre as possible, thus making for the topmaker the maximum weight, then, of course, the comber removes as little short fibre as he can. A good deal depends upon whether the spinner desires a hosiery or a coating yarn from the top. Of course, a spinner buying tops from a topmaker wants the fibre as long as he possibly can on account of spinning. Where a spinner-comber buys his own wool and combs it on his own combing machines, no doubt he will put lip with a somewhat inferior top than if ’>e were a spinner and did no w • no '•"mbing.

As already said, the percentage of the in. .a top plays an important part in determining the actual cost of that top. However, it is always the rule to remove the short fibres from the sliver in the final operation of combing, and these short fibres are what are known in the trade as noils. These noils are valuable, but it is the market price of the top which plays the most important part in determining the price of the greasy wool. ‘ QUALITIES OF TOPS. Every week current prices of tops are cabled from London. This is very useful, and should be observed by every pastoralist. I have known 64’s tops actually sell in Bradford at under Is 6d per lb, and I have known them realise over 13s per lb. Both extremes should never have taken place, the latter being the most ridiculous of the two, and which led to the loss of millions sterling. It seems to the writer that about 4s for 64’s tops is.a sound, economic price, and anything above that price will be associate with a fair amount of financial danger. Trade to-day is exceedingly unprofitable and unsatisfactory. It has been no good since f o.i r,—f,-> r 64’q tons, and, however displeasing it may be to AusU'u.iuu pu.^v.,K»........ i va.uiot ne.p s<i,,>.;g that wholesale fabric buyers will not look with favour upon placing new business for piece goods until they can buy on the same basis as they did last September, Whenever wool values get unreasonably high it is always the signal to bring in substitutes, and to-day I am not by any means satisfied that wool is resting on a sound and firm foundation. Of course, there can be no serious setback. That point is readily conceded, but in every market in the world there is nothing but disappointment at the course of trade, ■with everybody on the defensive and very few indeed possessing that confidence in the future that is absolutely necessary if all sections are to buy freely.

i ing to know how many qualities of tops are being made ■i ware say 1 could find 50 different qualities, hence colonial pastoralists will see to what purpose their shorn fleeces are put. We have tops being made to-day from 28’s to 100’s qualities, though the latter naturally are very scarce. It would appear as if. the trade is calling .for practically. nothing above 80’s, and haftirally pastoralists are pre-

ferring to produce a big fleece at a medium price in preference to a superfine fleece that is only going to appeal to very few buyers. However, I just mention this fact in passing, stressing more the fact that from 40’s to 70’s we find the biggest weight of tops being produced, simply because the biggest weight of wool is being grown in these qualities by British dominion pastoralists.

WOOL FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES. There is one more aspect of the colonial wool trade which I think should ever be kept in mind by pastoralists producing wool for combing purposes in England, on the Continent or anywhere else. Every sheepman knows that sheep turn off very different fleeces, and although they are supposed to be all fairly uniform as regards quality, they are not so. Some sheep grow distinctly better fleeces than others, being lighter in condition, more uniform in quality, ami what I may call super combing wool. Others produce a fleece that is less uniform, less straight in quality, it is heavier in condition, shorter, and more wasty. The reader will see that to put these into the same bale would be a mistake, hence a competent classer will always make two or three different classes of combing at shearing. I certainly favour the idea of a man niaking a lot of super combing, first combing, and ordinary combing, the latter comprising the more wasty fleece wools, fleeces that are heavier, shorter, and less desirable. Certainly I do not favour putting' into one bale all the combing wools regardless of quality, length, or condition, though some South African pastoralists still think it pays them to do so. I cannot understand the mentality of those who think that fleeces should not be skirted and that all should go into the bale. I am satisfied that the right way is to class a clip on sound, practical, commonsense lines, having regard to the carrying out of the principle of building up a good reputation for a clip, which can only be done by honest work being put into the shorn wool when it comes to be baled at shearing.