OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2717, 24 January 1910, Page 2

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

SOUTH AFRICA AS A WOOLGROWING COL’AIR i. (From Our Own Correspondent.) BRADFORD, Dec. i-0. Some surprise seems to have been expressed at the announcement made by tiie well-known wool statisticians, li. Schwartze and Co., that supplies of woo! from South Africa have this year advanced 10-1,000 bales compared with JOGS. lam open to admit that personally L am among that number, and such an increase is certainly more than anybody ever expected, let lor all that, it is but the natural sentience of events, Cape past-ora lists manifesting more progress m sheep breeding and wool growing than at any time during the past half century. With the Governments of the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal waking up—thanks to the independent legislation and some practical farmers at the head of affaire — other neighboring States, if I may call them such, have been stirred to adopt .a forward programme, hence we see from Cape Town to Johannesburg, from Pretoria to Port Elizabeth and right through Natal, sheep farmers •everywhere doing their utmost to grow more wool, and prepare same for market in a nniclJ better way. Some years have elapsed since greasy Capo Wool made 13d per lb., and yet that is tvhat actually took plaeo at the recent series of sales. Certain parts of South Africa are very much like the northern regions of South Australia, the far west of Now Soutli Wales, and Western Australia. No matter what methods are adopted the 'wool will be red and earthy, but buyers can get over that if there is not put up with the fleece the hollies and britcli, which is so frequently done by South African farmers. It is bad enough having to estimate the cloan yield of sand and earth in combing wool without having to calculate the shrinkage on heavy bellies and britch, and all rejoice to see some improvement on those lines. A .close analysis of the figures respecting imports of wool into this country shows that during recent years our supply has advanced by leaps and bounds compared with the early part ol : the present century, and it is surprising that we have not to-day a glut, as was the case from 1895 to 1899. I well remember the time when all users were “bunged” out with stock, and the late Sir Isaac Holden’s prophecy was fulfilled that we should have wool at the price of cotton. Such was the ease, for very good fleece crossbred dropped, to 4d per lb., and at one time even docent merino greasy could bo bought for a penny more. There is no more astonishing phenomenon in connection with the raw material than to find the present largo production moving out of hand and being absorbed with the same agility, as was the case in 1900, when supplies were a full million bales less than thev have boon this year. That is one .aspect ctf the wool situation which has received but scant recognition, and yet it proclaims eloquently the expanding nature of wool consumption in all countries alike.