WOOL INDUSTRY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13433, 4 November 1907, Page 2

WOOL INDUSTRY.

ITORTAXCE OF FARMERS LOTS. AN EXPERT'S ADVICE. The farmer plays an important p<<rt in contributing to the aggiegate output of wool (says the "Australasian"' fchee-p husbandry is being combined moie and more, each year with gentral faiming. This work would be still more profitable, and farmers would get a gnattr reward for, their enterpnse, if moie attention were paid to tue classing and prepaiation of" farm wool clips for marktt.

.Mr J. F. Outline, the senior wool ex pert of Dalgety and Co., sell iiniiuaJ]yiQ Victoria alone ncaily 100,000 bdki, iit'an irttereii&ihg.'imien ie-\\ on wool-grow-ing, shows' the importance of giving much more attention to organisation and method in improving shee§..' husbandry oh the' farms. ■ . " '-•-■,£•':' ~r-fi.:' v ■■]■■■■

"It is a mistake to, suppose,"' .said Mr Guthr^. 1 , "that - only .large flockmasters are benefited by the me nl -wool values. . . . Wool is, and always w ill bo, one of our istapie productions. It is surprising that- the Department of .Agriculture ha& completely overlooked the impirtanee of this great, industry. They have experts appointed to promote nearly every other branch of farm husbandly, but none to aid the ■wool-growers.' Large station-owners can, of course,: loot; after, themselves. It pays, thein/ to. have' experienced . classers 'to y;prepare their wool ' and put ifc up properly for market, so that' th 4 highest returns may be secured for the product. But'.much" is lost to the farmers, and to the country, by the want of expert knowledge in grading and putting on the market in a : wav , that is, acceptable .to..purchasers wool raised on the farms;' •: - Eor the present rates for Bradford tops,' the standard values of which to a large extent governs prices for woo], show ho.w necessary it is to grade wool : according to its spinning quahtks. What is known 1 as ?o's quality (fine merino) is quoted at 3C£d, • and 40 : s (coarse quality crossbred) 16£ d. Between these extreme grades are several othem. If wool of .corresponding I gradts is thrown haphazard- into~£lie -bales:? as is so often done with fai-jnera* llots/; the competition of the fori the consignment is often because"-each mill uses certain spinning Qualities". The wool has then to be bought by topmakers, who sort "the wool into. spinning qualities, of by local vjscourers, ;who sort, a scour, and ship local dealers, who-sorb 4nd at a profit;:in.,;, this markets i : ■..- "Great work" could W dbnevby -a' skilful expert with a good knowledge of breeding and of grading -wool in raising the standard of farmers' flocks, and in obtaining better returns for their- "wool clip. Demonstrations the. . agricultural, shows and on the farms., in grading, wools would be invaluable. .Something.has. been /done at the agricultural classes in this direction, but there is a great field for service, and it ought to-be entered upon with vigour. .What is wanted is a trained expert, such as the big.-wool-broking, firms employ. The Horsham -Agricultural Society has done useful -work in offering, each year special prizes for the . most : A'aluable fleeces of -wool. bring /shearing machines on'to/the show ground,-the uheep are shorn, and the fleeces, skirted, rolled, and classified, by an expert in the presence of the competitors. This year the St. Arnaud Agricultural. Society followed this lead; ! The prize does not necessarily go to the fleece showing the highest price per lb, but to the one showing the biggeist return per head of _ sheep. That,- of cpur.«e, is what to' aim ak ■ "Speaking of wool-classing, I may say that it. is very difficult to ; geb a sufficient number of experienced men,- but this is, perhaps, because the remuneration offered is not attractive enough, having. regard to the importance of their work. A classer may easily improve the f value .of a bale of wool SOIS for the . wool-grower, by good, or lose that much by bad workShearers get 22s 6d. per 100 for shearing •in Victoria, and a good man can average 100 per day, and make £6'l£sper week with /full time.;.. -The classer, gets on an average £1 per 1000 fleeces, ind deals with the work of, say, ten shearers. He has-just' as much .broken time as they have, and is limited -to the ■ number of fleeces they turn off. So,-although he has to.have judgment.and skill, ■ which ,only years-of training can give,' he is 'no better; paid' than" shearers.

"Instances have frequently come under my notice of wool-groweis. having taken everv care in respect to the breeding and culling of their flocks, to improve the wool, and vet in sheaving having loft to Id per lb through the wool being badly prepared for market. The classer and his assistants are generally blamed, but the fault is very often attributable to .the rcom, tables', and bins being so cramped and badly lit that work could not be well done."