IMPROVEMENT OF NEW ZEALAND WOOLS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 43, Issue 3, 21 September 1931, Page 172

IMPROVEMENT OF NEW ZEALAND WOOLS.

D. J. SIDEY,

B.Ag., H.D.D., Canterbury Agricultural College.

In the previous articles of this series* the chief faults of New Zealand wools were explained, and an outline was given of the research work which is being . carried out in England and Scotland for the purpose of bringing about improvement in raw wool and in methods of manufacture. If wool research on the production side is to be effective it must be carried out chiefly in the country concerned, owing to the variety of problems and conditions met with and to the different types of sheep bred. This side of the work may be said to be in its infancy the world over, and New Zealand is no exception, with the consequence that so far there are very few results which can be turned to practical use. Therefore, while research is able to point to methods whereby it is possible to correct a few of the faults of wool, there are a great many faults for which at present no definite remedy can be suggested, although certain lines of attack may be indicated. The reason for this is that the factor or factors involved in the production of some faults are not known, or, if they are known, it is not possible to suggest any practical method of overcoming them. However, it is hoped that the research work now in progress in this and other countries will yield valuable results in the course of a few years.

Wool-improvement in any country to a certain. extent is complicated by the fact that wool as an article for manufacturing purposes is really a by-product, its primary use being to act as a protective covering for the animal. Before any recommendations can be made or any steps taken to bring about improvement, due regard must be given to the fact that any contemplated change must not affect detrimentally the protective qualities of the fleece. In this country there is also the additional factor of the fat-lamb trade, which is more important, to many sheep-farmers than is the return from wool. Therefore, in any endeavour to produce better wool,. the type of sheep must not be affected in any way which will affect adversely their value as producers of fat lambs. Other factors which enter into the question of what direction wool-improvement should take are the law of supply and demand, the probable future demands of fashion, and whether the new type of wool will be as profitable, under the existing conditions of soil and climate, as the type which is condemned or is to be discarded. All these points and probably several others must be considered' carefully, especially when the manufacturers recommend, as they have done in the case of New Zealand, that a different breed or breeds of sheep should be kept in order that wool more suitable for certain manufacturing uses might be produced.

Elimination of Medullated or Hairy Fibres.

The outstanding fault of New Zealand wools, especially those" of the predominating Romney-cross type, is the presence of medulla ted or hairy fibres mixed in with the good wool. As yet it has not

been possible to demonstrate what is the particular factor or factors involved in the production of these fibres, but ft is evident that in some cases at least it may be a combination of several circumstances. The question arises immediately whether or not it will be wise to eliminate completely this type of fibre from the fleeces of our crossbred sheep, especially those which have to live under the severe conditions that exist on some of the less-developed country. Under these circumstances the wool is subjected to rather rough usage by coming into contact with legs,' scrub, and second growth, while at the same time the nutritional conditions are frequently not up to the standard required. for the production of good wool. The greater proportion of the rams used in New Zealand are bred on the better class of country, but, in the case of flock rams in particular, many of them are used on the poorer country. While the breeder of such rams may have good country and no such difficulties to contend with, he must remember when considering wool-improvement where his flock rams have to be used. It would be a decidedly false step if the . improvement of the wools on the stud sheep might lead to unsatisfactory wool on the greater number of flock sheep. ’

It is not meant by this that no endeavour should be made to improve so valuable a product as wool, but a note of caution is struck that the seemingly obvious step of eliminating completely these undesirable fibres might not be the wisest in the encl. Attempts at wool-improvement in England and Scotland have demonstrated clearly that it is not always wise to try and bring about the improvement that appears on the surface to be most, desirable. However, medullated fibre certainly should be reduced to that minimum which is compatible with a useful and payable fleece. It has to be remembered that the return for wool is a composite of its quantity and quality, and thus any improvement in quality must not be carried out at the expense of quantity, otherwise the returns will not justify the change.

Factors of Breed.

Some manufacturers have blamed the Romney breed for the production of most of the undesirable wool grown in New Zealand, but, while this breed must take a portion of the blame, it is obviously unfair, as will be seen later, to charge any one circumstance with all the responsibility. The primitive breeds which were the ancestors of our present domesticated sheep had two coats of wool —a hairy outer coat for protective purposes and a fine undercoat for the retention of heat. The popular theory is that man’s selection, aided by environmental changes, has resulted in the outer coat being suppressed and the under coat greatly developed. Whether the hairy fibres found in New Zealand wools have any connection with this primitive outer coat is not known, but it is maintained by some that, in the case of our long-woolled breeds, the suppression of the hairy outer coat has not been so complete as in the case of some of the shorter and finer .woolled breeds such as the Merino. The genetical factors concerned with the production of hairy fibres in the fleece are possibly recessive in character, and therefore will be brought out more prominently • when back-crossing is reverted to in breeding practices.

The history of the breeding of flock sheep (as distinct from stud sheep) in this country is largely one of cross-breeding. The first sheep introduced in quantity were Merinos ;. then the Lincoln and Leicester breeds, besides being bred pure, were used, as sires for a few generations on the Merino ewes and the progeny of their crosses. Latterly the Romney breed has come to the front, and has been used largely for crossing with the Lincoln and Leicester breeds, ' and the progeny of their crosses with the Merino, with the result that to-day the blood in some flocks is very mixed. If it had been possible to breed first crosses only it might not have been so bad, but the commonest practice has been to back-cross to either the Lincoln or the Romney sire as the demand has changed for different types of wool. Another practice is to use the Lincoln ram on the finer-woolled sheep with a predominence of ■ Romney blood, while the Romney ram has been used on the coarse-woolled ewes with a preponderance of Lincoln blood. Such indiscriminate cross-breeding cannot do otherwise than bring out recessive characters, which would be intensified by future breeding . unless very careful selection were practised.

When considering the question of medullated fibres in the previous article, dealing with the faults of New Zealand wools, it was pointed out that the amount of sulphur present in an organic form in the food of the sheep probably plays some part in the production of these fibres. The system of indiscriminate cross-breeding which has been so much in vogue in the past, combined with poor selection of the breeding-stock and unfavourable nutritional conditions, is more likely to be the chief cause of the production of hairy fibres than is the influence of any one breed.

When there is excessive variation in the size and shape of the fibres within a staple of wool, as occurs in some New Zealand wools, particularly those of the crossbred type, it becomes a serious fault from the manufacturing point of view. Wools which result from the crossing of two or more breeds of sheep frequently appear to have a greater variability of the size of their fibres than do wools from strictly purebred sheep. Therefore this is another reason why cross-breeding, except for butchers’ purposes, should be limited to a minimum. A special feature of this irregularity is that, as a general rule, the coarest fibres are also the longest and quickest growings and if nutrition plays some part in the production of medullated fibres then this feature would tend to increase the likelihood of medulla formation.

While the crossing of different breeds is undesirable from the wool viewpoint, the crossing of widely differing types within the same breed is very little better. Of recent years many well-known writers on animal improvement have stressed the necessity for line-breeding and careful inbreeding if uniformity of production is required. Many breeders are afraid of close breeding because in the past some faults, such as sterility, have been attributed, often erroneously, to this practice. It is quite possible to breed sterile animals by the most violent out-cross, provided care is taken in the selection of the parent stock. It should be remembered that inbreeding creates no new characters, but intensifies both the good and the bad characters that are already in existence, so that they may be multiplied or discarded

as the case may demand. While the breeder with a small flock may not be in the position to inbreed to any marked extent, he at least should practice line-breeding, and if he is not able to use home-bred rams he should purchase rams from closely related stock. The larger breeder should be in a position not only to line-breed and to inbreed, but he should also try out-crossing to a limited extent to infuse new blood into his stock. Probably the best method of introducing such an out-cross is to purchase some good cast-for-age ewes and mate them with home-bred rams in the hope of breeding a good ram. With such out-crossing there is as much if not more need for careful selection and culling as there is in the case of inbreeding.

Selection and Mating.

From the foregoing remarks it can be seen that the first essential when considering wool-improvement in this country is that there should be an all-round improvement in the breeding practices and in the feeding and management of the sheep. The first step should be the selection of a class of sheep with that type of wool- which is most suitable for the conditions ruling in any particular district. The rams selected for use in the flock should be similar to the ewes in type and should carry an even fleece of good-quality wool, even in fibre diameter from tip to base, and with as few visible medullated or hairy fibres as possible. When fresh rams are required an endeavour should be made to purchase them from the same flock each year, provided it is found that the type is suitable. It is only by such methods that an even line of sheep can be bred with wool as free from fault as is reasonable and also requiring a . minimum of classing.

While continually changing the sheep and wool in an endeavour to meet the market demands may appear to give good results, it almost invariably results - in several types of sheep none of which conform to any standard. This entails considerably more wool-classing than should be necessary, and the returns when considered over a number of years are not as sastisfactory as they would have been if the original type had been maintained. Although there may be fluctuations in the demand and price of any one particular class of wool, it should be remembered that good wools of any class are always required. It may be pointed out here that at the present time there is a decided swing away from certain fine-woolled sheep because of the ruling conditions. There may be a justification for this in certain cases, but it should not be carried to extremes, else it will lead to the introduction of a type of sheep unsuitable for the country.

Some breeders when endeavouring to breed sheep with a medium class of wool try to do so by mating the fine-woolled ewes to strongwoolled rams and vice versa. While such a practice may appear to give satisfactory results for the progeny of the first mating, subsequent matings will prove to be very disappointing. The more correct method is to mate continually the ewes with rams carrying a fleece of wool approximating very closely to the standard that is finally aimed at. Such a practice may not bring about the desired improvement very quickly, but it will certainly do it more thoroughly and permanently, and will result in an even type of wool throughout the flock.

Feeding and Management.

Although better breeding practices are essential, attention must also be given to the feeding and management of the animals, since any improvement in production requires a corresponding improvement in the nutrition of the animals if the best results are to be obtained. One of the first steps in any scheme of wool-improvement must be to improve, as far as is reasonably possible, the standard of the conditions under which the animals have to live. This can be carried out by better pasture-management, the rational use of manures, the saving of the excess growth of one season as hay or silage for feeding during periods of scarcity, the provision of an even supply of food throughout the year, and by more careful attention to the general welfare of the sheep. Until recent years there has been a general tendency in this country to question whether the returns obtained from the feeding of hay, silage, and other supplementary fodders justified the expenditure involved. This has been due to the fact that it is hard to judge the value of such returns, and that in most cases only the immediate returns , are considered. Had more notice been taken of the indirect returns, and also the indirect losses which result from bad feeding, there can be little doubt that more supplementary fodder would have been used in sheep-feeding. At the present time there is a more general realization that supplementary feeding is essential if disease is to be checked and maximum returns obtained. However, only when the majority of the sheepowners realize the necessity of better feeding will the wool clip from this country be as even as it is desirable it should be.

In America, recent work by Hardy and Tennyson on “ Wool Fineness as influenced by the Rate of Growth ” shows that there is every necessity for improved feeding. These workers, after an intense study of woolgrowth, came to the conclusion that the sheep-raiser can control largely the quantity and the quality of the wool produced by controlling the thriftiness of his sheep. This means that if the maximum weight of fleece with fibres that are even in diameter from tip to root (this is very desirable) is to be obtained it is essential that the sheep should receive a regular supply of complete food. Such improved feeding will not only be reflected in the fleece, but should be shown also in improved health of the animals, more vigorous and better-quality fat lambs, and a lowered death-rate, especially that which is due to parasitic diseases in young stock.

Improvement of the “ Handle ” of Wool

The handle of the wool is influenced by a large number of factors, some of which can be controlled, but others, such as the weather conditions, are beyond practical control, except in the case of a few special stud-sheep. The elimination of the coarse hairy fibres from the wool and the improved feeding mentioned above will improve to a certain extent the handle of some wools, and if combined with greater care in the selection of breeding-stock with soft-handling wool there should soon be a marked improvement in this most important feature of good wools. Wools with a remarkably soft handle usually are desirable spinning wools, owing to the

evenness and roundness o f their fibres. Consequently, selection for soft handle will bring about at the same time an improvement in the evenness and shape of the wool fibres.

Research also has shown that if two wools of similar spinning quality are taken, one heavy in the grease and the other lighter, the one carrying the most condition is as a general rule the ' better spinning-wool because of the greater regularity in both size and shape of its fibres. From this there can be but little doubt that the lack of grease in the fleece is a contributing factor'in the production of some harsh-handling wools. It was pointed out in the previous article that there probably should be a tendency to select towards slightly more yolk in the fleece than most breeders have been in the habit of doing in the past. Like all other improvements, however, it should not be carried to extremes, and care will need to be taken in the selection for soft handle that a wool is not produced which is unsuitable for withstanding weather conditions. In the case of stud sheep, especially rams, the handle of the wool should be judged after a sample has been freed from yolk by washing in either a warm soap solution or in petrol. This is necessary because in some cases there is a tendency for the yolk to mask the true handle of the wool. Admittedly buyers have been in the habit of penalizing wools heavy in the grease, but if they are going to make use of the results of the work of their own research associations and have a genuine desire for an improvement in the raw wool they must readjust slightly their valuing standards.

Kemps and Brown Fibres.

At the present time little complaint is heard about the presence of kemps in New Zealand fleece wools, but kemps are present in all wools to a greater or lesser extent. With all breeds of sheep every endeavour therefore should be made to limit the harmful fibres to the lowest possible minimum. This can be done by careful selection of all breeding-stock, especially stud sheep, with wool free from kemp. In this connection any stud lamb born with a covering of hairy fibres (called by some breeders “ mother hairs ”) standing out from the usual close fleece of the lamb should be viewed with suspicion, and so marked that the fleece can be carefully examined for kemps before the sheep is added to the breeding-flock. The work of improvement in this respect can be aided considerably by show-yard judges and by stud-sheep inspectors disqualifying any sheep with kemps in the fleece wool.

The question of brown fibres in Southdown and slipe wools is connected with this problem, since in the majority of cases the brown fibres are usually true kemps. Some Southdown and Down-cross lambs are born with either a partly or wholly coloured birth-coat, but the colour usually disappears completely in a short time after birth. Dr. J. E. Nicholls, working with the Suffolk breed in England, has been able to show that the sooner a lamb loses this coloured birth-coat the less likelihood there is of the adult fleece containing coloured fibres. Research workers in America have also shown that Down lambs with a partly or wholly coloured birthcoat are more likelv to have coloured fibres in the . adult fleece than

are lambs born with only the lower extremities of their legs and the lower portion of their face coloured. While this work may need to be confirmed on the Southdown in New Zealand, there can be but little doubt that some notice should be. taken of it. by Southdown breeders. Although the wool of the Southdown itself is not very important, it must be remembered that the . breed is now partly responsible for a large proportion of the slipe wools from the freezing-works.

In order to overcome this defect the manufacturers have recommended the use of Corriedale, Ryeland, and Dorset. Horn rams in place of the Southdown. If it were a question only of woolimprovement such a step might be justified, but in this case it is more a question of mutton-improvement, and thus the fat-lamb breeder is not justified in trying to improve his wool by such a means. The return for wool from a fat lamb is only a small part of the total return, so it would not be wise to endeavour to improve the wool, return by a few pence when the breeder would probably lose either directly or indirectly a few shillings on the return for his carcass. However, this should not be a barrier to an attempt at the elimination of brown fibres from the wool of the Southdown. .

Length of Staple.

For a few seasons certain wool-buyers and writers on wool matters have complained that there is a tendency on the part of some New Zealand wool-growers to produce a fine wool that is too long for the spinning quality. This has applied particularly to fine Romney and Corriedale wools of a 50’s count or finer. More recently some Bradford writers have stated that there is a demand for this class of wool and that, provided it is classed by itself, it will bring about a penny per pound more than a shorter but otherwise similar wool. This is typical of many of the statements and criticisms made by the wool-manufacturers, and is due in part to the fluctuations in the requirements for different types of wools owing to variations in the demand for different classes of cloths. What may be required one season or what may suit one manufacturer may be neglected the next season, or may not suit a manufacturer engaged in some other branch of the industry. Since this is so, the correct procedure should be to endeavour to breed a class of wool that gives the best return over a number of years combined with suitability for the conditions under which it is grown. At the same time it is a mistake to strive after abnormal wool-growth either in the form of extra length or extra density,. for if this is done other objectionable features are sure to creep in. It should be remembered that there is an optimum length, fineness, and density for the wool of any breed, and that best results are obtained when the wool most closely approximates to these standards.

Manufacturers claim that there is at the present time a world shortage of long, strong, lustrous wools of the Lincoln and Leicester types, and they have maintained that it would be to the advantage of the New Zealand producer if he were to produce more of this class of wool. - It is generally recognized by most sheep-owners in this

country that the Romney is the most suitable breed for the greater portion of the sheep-grazing country when the climatic conditions and the final ' returns are considered. However, some Romney breeders are wondering if it would be wise for them to attempt to grow a modified type of long lustrous wool of about a 40’s to 44’s count by selecting and fixing a type within the Romney breed. It should be quite possible to do this by a few years of careful selection and breeding from sheep that are already present in some flocks, but whether it would be economical is another question. It has been emphasized already that the best wool to grow is that type which suits the country and climate and gives the best returns over a number of years. Although it might be possible to grow the long lustrous wool on some of the heavier country the returns would be largely a matter of speculation owing to price fluctuations. The returns obtained last season for English Leicester and Romney wools from the stud flock at Canterbury Agricultural College certainly indicated that, even in the buyers’ ” market which ruled at that time, the buyers were not prepared to pay a price for long lustre wool that would warrant, a breeder changing from the true Romney type.

Discoloured Wools.

The amount of discoloured wool found in any clip varies from season to season, and while the proportion may never be very high every endeavour should be made to limit .it to the lowest possible minimum. The discolorations may be of two types : Firstly, are those which affect the wool-grease and do not stain the fibre, so that on scouring the wool is still bright and white. As examples of this type we have ordinary dead yolk discoloration and tick or ked stain, both of which detract from the appearance of the wool when it is displayed for sale. However, if tick-stained wool is stored for a considerable time the trouble appears to become intensified and to affect the scouring qualities of the wool. The second type of discoloration is that in which the fibre itself is stained or coloured so that it does not scour clean and bright, with the result that the wool cannot be used for either white or high-class dyed goods. Examples of this class are canary yellow, and red, blue, green, and black wools, which in some cases appear as secondary complications of dead yolk and which apparently are due to bacterial action. In addition there is dip-stained wool, and a browning of the wool brought about through pressing when damp. At the present time it is possible only to control these last two discolorations, as no practical control measures can be suggested which would inhibit the growth of the bacteria which produce the other coloured wools.

There can be little doubt that there is a need for more careful dipping of sheep, and in some cases for better dipping materials, because occasionally it appears that the dips have not been prepared correctly. When preparing the dip the directions given by the makers should be followed carefully, the water measured accurately, and where rain water or other soft water is not available washing-soda should be added to the bath to soften it. From 2 lb. to 3 lb. of soda per 100 gallons of water is sufficient for the average hard water, but where exceptionally hard water from limestone country has to be used a slightly - greater quantity may be necessary. The contents of the dip

should be stirred thoroughly before starting operations, and after any stop or when more dip is added. Should any scum form on the surface it should be removed with an old sheep-skin kept for the purpose or a piece of sacking. Trouble has been experienced lately by some dipping materials of the “ bloom ” type containing a dyestuff which colours the wool fibres, and will not scour out.

While it may not be desirable, it is sometimes necessary to shear sheep which are not quite dry, and on such occasions every endeavour should be made to allow the wool to dry before pressing. Damp wool should be rolled loosely and spread out, so that it may lose by evaporation as much moisture as possible. Care should be taken also to see that such wool and also wool heavy in the grease is not pressed too tightly into the bales.

Branding-fluids.

Considerable trouble is experienced by the manufacturers owing to the sheep-brands bn the wool not scouring out in the usual scouringbaths used in the mills. Some manufacturers even go so far as to say that even after exposure for twelve months none of the usual commercial fluids used for branding will scour out, despite assurances that they will do so. The British Wool Industries Research Association has done considerable work in endeavouring to produce a brandingfluid that will remain visible on the fleece for twelve months and will still scour out in the mill. It is certainly asking a lot of any fluid to conform to these conditions, especially with the heavy rainfall and other climatic variations which are met with in certain parts of New Zealand. Since the branding-fluids made according to the formula- of the Research Association are as yet in the experimental stage, it may not be wise to recommend them for general use until it can be shown that they first of all fulfil the condition of remaining visible—on closewoolled sheep at —for twelve months. The sheep-farmer can help the manufacturer, however, by (i) endeavouring to keep the brand as small as is consistent with ease of reading, and (2) by seeing that the fluid does not drip from the iron all over the sheep, and that the brand is not smudged by the sheep rubbing together. If a branding fluid is too thick and requires thinning, petrol or some other volatile liquid should be used. If vegetable turpentine, or boiled linseed-oil are used they dry so hard that they will not scour out even when subjected to a severe scour.

Some stud breeders are in the habit of using a variety of coloured paints to distinguish mobs of ewes that have been run with different rams. Since these paints do not scour off the wool, even with a drastic scour, they should be discarded and a system evolved by which the existing branding fluids (which can be removed in a special scour) and marks on different parts of the sheep are used.

Testing for Quantity.

The points discussed so far have concerned the quality of the wool, but the quantity produced per sheep is equally important, and the time has arrived when more attention should be paid to this side of wool-production. In recent years the testing of animals for production and the valuing of sires for breeding purposes has come very much to the fore. To-day most farmers are aware of the benefits

that have accrued through dairy-herd testing, trap-nesting and egglaying trials in poultry-keeping, and progeny tests with pigs. In view of the great importance of sheep to New Zealand, it is suggested that the time is ripe for starting some scheme of testing both the wool and mutton production of our flocks. This would show which were the uneconomic producers, so that they might, be culled and eventually only the best producers used for breeding purposes. ■

A few of the American agricultural colleges have attempted work on the lines of wool-testing, and the results show quite clearly that, if properly organized, there is a great future in front of the work. The last paragraph of Publication No. 1048 of the United States Department of Agriculture summarizes the position very clearly as follows : “It is evident, therefore, that while season must be considered and every possible, means used to offset adverse climatic conditions by proper feeding and management, if good wool yields are to be obtained it is most important to select and maintain in the flock those ewes with heavier clean weight of fleece and greater length of staple, and to use rams which transmit these qualities.”

While stud-sheep breeders have wrought considerable improvement in our sheep it is questionable if they have won more than half the battle. What is required now is a system whereby the breeder will be able to select his animals on a knowledge of their‘value as economic converters of food combined with the quantity and quality of their produce. The work of testing sheep will not be carried out so easily as that of cattle or poultry testing, since a number of variables enter into the work. Simply breeding from sheep with the heaviest fleece may lead in time to a strain of sheep with one or more of the following objectionable features : (1) Wool very heavy in the grease ; (2) very big-carcassed sheep, (3) sheep with exceptionally long-wool, (4) wool too coarse in the fibre for the standards of the breed.

The first objection can be overcome by determining the approximate cleaned scoured; weight of each fleece, and to do this it will be necessary to take a representative sample from each fleece. This would then be scoured, dried, and weighed, so that the amount of clean wool in the fleece could be determined. The second objection can be overcome by careful observations of the carcass qualities of each sheep immediately after shearing. Where scales are available weights would be a useful check on the eye observations, especially if they could be accompanied by some system of measurement. The third and fourth objections might be overcome by having the staple length and spinning quality of the wool checked on the samples taken for scouring purposes. ■

Preparing the Clip for Market.

While the preparation of the wool-clip for market may not come strictly under the heading of wool-improvement, care in this respect is equally important in any endeavour that is to improve the returns from wool. This is becoming more and more an age of specialization and standardization, and the care and treatment which may have been good enough for wool some years ago are really not sufficient at the present time if the best returns are to be obtained. The subject cannot be dealt with fully in an article of this nature, but the essential points

may be stated as follows . (i) The shed should be cleaned thoroughly before the start of shearing ; (2) the sheep should be allowed to empty and be dagged before shearing ; (3) every care must be taken to keep the wool clean during every stage through which it passes ; (4) only wool which does not match the'bulk of the fleece should be removed in the skirting operation ; (5) when the wool is classed, what is necessary is a few distinct lines with no fancy lots ; (6) with moderate to largesized flocks the piece wool should be divided so that all wool light in the grease is in one lot and all wool heavy in the*grease in another; (7) all stained wool should be kept by itself ; (8) when the wool is pressed it is a mistake to endeavour to get too much into the bales, especially if the wool is at all inclined to be heavy in the grease or not properly dry.

Conclusion.

It may be. said quite safely that if the sheep-farmer is to do his share in meeting the present economic crisis and at the same time prepare for the greater future competition in the world's markets he must be prepared to improve his methods of breeding, feeding, and management. The real foundation for such improvement can only be laid when a scheme of testing is evolved and put into more or less general practice. It is freely admitted that in dairy-cow testing a great deal of the - benefit derived from the system comes from the better care and management of the stock and the spirit of emulation that is engendered. Although the system of testing the pulling-power of . draught horses has been started only recently in America, it is claimed that already it has created a greater consideration for care, management, training, and the breeding of better farm horses. There can be but little doubt that sheep-testing would also encourage an improved standard in the general management of our sheep, and if such a system accomplished nothing else it would justify itself.

Some of the improvements suggested in this article may appear trivial or of little importance, but it must be remembered that any fault in the wool which, prevents it being used for the highest class of goods for which it may be suitable lowers the value, even though slightly, and so affects the total return. Therefore, in the selection of breeding-stock, care should be taken to see that the type of wool is that which is most likely to suit the climatic conditions and at the same time be as free as possible from defects, combined with a maximum yield of fleece. In order that such selection may be worth while a sound scheme of breeding should be laid down, and the sheep so fed and managed that they are able to produce the maximum quantity of good-quality wool. Then when the wool is shorn it should be so treated and handled that it will be displayed for sale to the best advantage.

Maori-bug Flavour in Cream. — In a recent note Mr. G. F, V. Morgan, Bacteriologist to the Dairy Division, states : “ A streptococcus resembling in cultural characteristics a type isolated in the past from pasteurized milk for cheesemaking was isolated from the cream sample supplied. This organism, which seems to be a definite type of lactic streptococcus, produces a burnt flavour in both milk and cream, resulting finally in a butter which, on keeping, has what has been described as “ Maori-bug flavour.” I have recently recultured a strain of this organism, and the -same flavour is produced. I would advise special attention to cooling in order to keep the streptococcus family down as a whole.”

* See Journal for July and August,' 1931.