BRANDING OF SHEEP

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21377, 21 June 1939, Page 6

BRANDING OF SHEEP

Faulty Materials Used

Complaint From England

Wool buyers may in future refuse to bid for wool which lias been branded with faulty materials, according to an announcement of the South Canterbury Woolbrokers’ Association, which has received complaints from England. Certain of Llie wools offered had been branded with ordinary paint and witli tar with a result that the wool was still discoloured after scouring and

was useless for manufacture. At a recent meeting of the South Canterbury Woolbrokers’ Association correspondence was received from a leading firm of Bradford top makers covering a complaint in regard to the unfortunate practice which has developed in reg" d to t b t branding of sheep with other then, recognised sheep branding mat Tiais. It would appear Liat certain of the wools offered at the Timaru ..ales d’ g the last season were branded in some cases with ordinary paint, and in others with tar. It is felt that this has been done without thought as to the ultimate effect on the : ’our and manufacture of the wool concerned.

A reporter of “The Timaru Herald” had an opportunity of inspecting samples of these wools, and though they have been twice thoroughly scoured, the paint and tar still remain in the wool which is made absolutely useless for the manufacture of cloth of any kind. It may not be generally known, and wool-growers should take note of this fact, that the wool buyers employ an inspector who visits all the wool stores in New Zealand prior to the buyers valuing the wools, and that for the coming season it is understood that this inspector has received definite instructions to pay the most careful attention to the question of faulty branding materials being used in this way. Where they are in evidence it is understood that the buyers will absolutely refuse to record a bid for the wools concerned. Under the circumstances growers would be well advised in future to use nothing but well known proprietary brands of branding oils whlcn are in all cases blended in such a manner as to ensure their scouring out of the wool satisfactorily.