ITALIAN WOOL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 228, 26 September 1931, Page 9

ITALIAN WOOL

GREATER PRODUCTION SOUGHT. ROME, Sept. 24. The Italian Press has latterly been drawing attention to the possibility of increasing the home wool production. To-day a wool expert writing in the Corriere del la Sera points out that the the suggested importation of Australian and Argentine rams on a large scale improve the Italian stock by cross breeding would not achieve the object. He says that the conditions in Sardinia, where extensive breeding would be attempted, are unsuitable, chiefly because the poor pastures are insufficient for winter fodder. Furthermore, experiments have shown that the wool producing abiliity of Australian and Argentine sheep declines when they are ’brought to Italy. He believes that an improvement in the national stock can be attained through the gradual improvement of agricultural conditions, and using Australian rams only rarely.