New Zealand

Southland Times, Issue 12771, 2 December 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

New Zealand

(From the Australasian Pastoralists Re. view).

The colony of New Zealand especially interests Americans connected with tho pastoral industry, by reason of the splendid energy and forethought displayed by New Zealand farmers in opening up the trade in frbz n mutton with Europe. Unittd States pastoralists arc keenly alive to the fact that in the very near future they will have to reduce their industry almost solely to a mutton basis, with woe merely as an iacidental, though valuable product. Accordingly, at the World’s Fair, where investigators largely congregate, I find that the facts and figures in regard to the New Zealand export trade are eagerly sought after, and carefully studied. So earnest is the quest for exact information that I could have given away hundreds of The Pastora'ists Review pamphlet on the subject, instead of the half-dozen spare copies I happened to have with me in Chicago. American mutton is, as a rule, far inferior to the New Zealand product, and the Americans seem quite willing to admit the fact. They do not dream of sending frozen mutton to England, but they are desirous of profiting by New Zealand's experience to improve their mutton breeds for their own vast and ever-increas-ing markets. However, this incidental allusion to the NewZqaland frozen mutton trade,prompted by the deepest interest manifested by American shoepownors in the splendid enterprise shown by their Antipodean coworke's, has carried me somewhat from the New Zealand wool exhibit in the Agricul turai Building of the Exposition. Th'-New Zealand bales and fleeces will be found io the north-west gallery, in close c-wiguity to ths / merienn stands of show fl eces. Altogether ibern are sixteen bales display! d and aboui fifty fl sees. The credit of gtttingtbiscxbit.it together largely belon?e to Sir Roderick Cameron, of the Nev Yo.k firm of Messrs R. W. Cameron & Co., woo during a recent tour through the islands, stirred up some of bis personal friends noi to permit New Zealand to be wholly unrepresented at the great Exposition. Several of the clients; of Messrs Parrel & Co., the well-known firm of Sin Francisco, eilse' came forward, Eventually the exhibit was forwarded to the care of M-i B sG, A. Crosby,& 00-yofirOhicago, who appointed Mr Edmund Mitchel], of Victoria, to take it under his charge ah<f properly instal. This work was accomplished under considerable difficulties, no space having been pscured in ths ordinary way. However the

courtesy and oonsidieration of thcTOliiefo of | the Agricultural Department promptly overcame this difficulty, and Mr Mitchell was enabled to set to work on the American gallery. He had to make use of an awkwardly shaped space, but by building show cases around a bay recess and placing the bales on a platform and draping them wi th cloth areally pretty display has been made. Choice fleece wool ie shown by Mr Charles Goulter.of Hawkesbury Station, Blenheim, and by Mr Bernard R. Ward, of Brooklyn Station,Blenheim. In both cases the sheep from which the fleeces have been shorn have been fed only upon grass, and have received no protection from the weather. Al the animals were bred by the exhibitors. Mr Douglas McLean shows thirty-five fine merino flieces, some of them inferior to none in the whole exhibition. He has also forwarded-three bales of wool, The other bales which have been invoiced through Messrs. Williams and Kettle,oLNspier, t>W the,station marks of Greenhill, M.Onnt^ Vernon, Frimlay, Tauroa, and Poporangr. Mr Gdulter, of Hawkesbury, also has a choice bale on show. Mr William, Telford,, of Clifton, Otago, is’represented by a magnificent bale of Romney Marsh hogget and. maiden ewes’ fleeces.. The bales, are so shown that their contents are protected from dust, but are easily examined by interested visitors. Moreover, a few fleeces fromjeach bale are exhibited on a shelf in the recess above the show cases. The quality of all tfie wool shown—merino, long, and crossbred —ia snob as to command universal admiration. Mr William H. B. Thornton, of Chicago, a practical wool expert and authority on wool subjects, widely known throughout America, has assisted materially, in the

effective display of the Australasian wool exhibits. Mr Thornton was born in the State of Massachusetts in 1844, and came from a family of wool experts, his father, a native of England, being in the trade both in the old country and in America. When quite a boy the son was taken into the woolroom, and practically taught by his father to judge and sort wools. After studying at the Polytechnic Institute of Troy, N.Y., at the age of sixteen be took np the profession of wool grader and buyer. A few years later he entered with his father into the business of manufacturing worsted yarns, and made himself master of every department in the trade. After the subversa! of business,caused by the Civil War Mr Thornton returned to wool-buying, and has since operated for several ot the best firms in America, and also on his own account, all over the great wool States of the country. Since 1854 he has made Chicago hia business centre and home. Besides be ing one of America’s best jadges of woo), Mr Thornton ie wool correspondent and wool-market reporter for a number of the leading weekly and monthly commercial papers throughout the United States. I have asked Mr Thornton for ibs opinion of the Australasian wool exhibits, and this is his reply : —‘These wools should be carefully studied by our great breeders of woo[ visiting the World’s Fair as well as by al those who are interested in the advance, ment of the staple. The Australasian exhibits are simply the realization of the dream of the flockmaster intent upon producing wools as near to perfection as possible. The New South Wales display of fleeces and bales is the largest ever made at any international exhibition. Merchants, manufacturers, and breeders will, if they give this exhibit careful attention, learn a lesson not soon to be forgotten. Condition, length of staple, compactness, and truenees are some of the great merits these wools possess. All who understand the characteristics and properties of wool best adapted to the wants of the textile industry will delight to inspect the New South Wales wool court. In the superb exhibition presented by Victoria is to ba found the realization of the ideal of perfect wool of merino blood. Staple, condition, density of fibre,compac:ness, elasticity, and trueness are all to be seen in this wonderful exhibition of wool. ‘These wools are what we term, in the United States, fine combing wools, and are used in the manufacture of fancy worsteds. We have nothing in this country, with the exception of a few clips, that can in any way compare with them, and unfortunately none of these clips are on exhibition in the American Dopartment. This latter fact is well known to many who have examined the wool display of the United States at Chicago, so far as it is yet installed, and who know, by experience, that to-day in the several markets of the country there are far superior wools being offered :for sale, than are shown by exhi. bitors of the United States at the Oolum bian Exposition. These remarks are no made with any intention to discourage the great breeders of the United Sta’es or to rob Australia of the high praises it de. serves in exhibiting snch handsome fibre. As far as wool of Merino blood is concerned, America has not, as yet been able to produce a fibre equal to the Australian, whose length of staple, density of fibre, and trueness are the leading characteristics. Whether this is on account of climate or the natural nourishing vegetation of Australia is a question for future thought. ‘ln the New Zealand exhibit there are some fine tpecimens of wool shown by noted breeders! of Merino blood. This exhibit displays more croes-brede, and has reason to be proud of the fleeces represent ing the noted clips. The display is in the American Department, and is quite a contrast compared with wools shown by the United States, not only es regards

merit, but also in the manner the fleeces are arranged for exhibition. Australian fleeces are eilher put up without string or else are kept together with a very small strand of twine ; while, on the other hand, our American fleeces are tied up in a mannormoro to display the amount of string or ribbon they can wind around the fleece than the wool itself. The exhibits of wool from Australasia constitute an object lesson for our breeders to contemplate, as they show advanced ideas in tho arrangement of wools for market over uti, a much older country. Australasia has also certainly surpassed us in general merit in fine wool raising. In regard to crossbreds, or what we term medium wool, the breeders of the United States can compete with the world in its production if they so desire. But the bales of crossbred wool displayed by New Zealand stand as a monument reminding us what a great competitor we have to faoe in this, our own special line, in the wool-grow-ing industry. ‘Our growers, who visit the World’s Fair, have plenty to study. The book of knowledge as presented by New South Wales; Victoria, and New Zealand, should be carefully scanned, for it is no dream that is pourtrayed by these fast-growing colonies of Great Biitain, but a reality. The manufacturers of the world look to Australia for their choicest and finest fibre, and she is increasing yearly in thia class of stock. To mv countrymen, who may be sceptical, I say—‘Go to the World’s Fair, and see, in the Australian Courts, what perfect fibre mean.; .‘hen compare it with your own, and you will realize at once that to the hier ders of Australia belongs the crown for 'merit in the production of wools.’