OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3509, 27 April 1912, Page 4

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

POINTS; TO OBSERVE IN EXAMINING A FLEECE. (From Om- Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD,, March 15. I have just had the delightful experience of examining several samples of '\vool sent to me by Mr. Robert Clarke, Bolinda- Vale, Vic.—(the property is owned by Sir TV. J. Clarke) — and when 1 say that this crossbred clip fetches the highest price of any in the world, it will be seen at once that the samples have not come from an ordinary pastoralist. . Included in the parcel there are several Leicester sam_ pies from sheep that took the chempion and first and second awards, at the last Melbourne Royal Show, and which are grown by Mr. J. A. Cochrane, Aitkenside, Seres, Vic., and the same also contained samples from the Cobran Station, near Deniliquin, New South Wales. Nothing delights me more than to inspect some really good wool; and 1 have repeatedly said that the finest picture gallery I ever see is a display of 10,000 bales of wool set out. in tbe wool warehouses of London. If that is not sufficient to stir to the very foundations the nature of any wool-man, then I do not know what is. It seems to me that- every time a a:an goes.round valuing he can learn something, and if he puts on his ‘•'studying cap’’ ho can observe something new which is sufficient to set film thinking on the possibilities of the wool trade in general. Tile samples referred to arc just about as perfect as any man can expect to see if lie lives to be as old as Methusalah, and I really cannot see that it is possible for Australian pastoralists to improve their sheep storks very much further. There is no doubt that rapid progress has been made during tbe past 25 years in all breeds of sheep, and in merinos, the pure English breeds and the crossbreds, there is today being produced a class of animal and a wealth of wool which would surprise our great grandfathers. Even old men connected with the wool trade sometimes wax eloquent on the changed character of wool supplies. The writer himself well .remembers that’ -whon he first attended the London wool sales crossbreds were very scarce, whereas to-day there arc certain series of the year when they monopoh.se the catalogues. EXAMINING WOOL. Whilst looking over the above sam. pies, and wondering what to write about, the thought naturally arose that • there is an art in examining wool, just tho same, as in looking over a pen of sheep. Various ideas developed in my mind as 1 inspected the samples, and naturally tho first essential in a good fleece of wool is quality. It is a well-known fact that the more uniform a fleece of wool is, and the greater its value. A man can have length and strength of staple, 'good condition, and a nice handle, out if there is not quality, one of the most essential points is wanting. Some people use the term quality in an altogether erroneous sense. The name is used in tho wool trade as signifying the spinning count of wool, and qtiality should never he confounded with condition. I have heard many people say that a clip of good quality when they meant it was in good order and condition. A grower should always endeavor to produce a satisfactory standard of quality, and what a multiplication of qualities has been going on during recent years ! The time was when for anything below 60’s tlie spinner was compelled to go to English wools, but to-day a man can obtain anything from 30’s to 100’s in colonial wools. This is one of the results of the great development in the frozen meat industry, and to-day New Zealand, Tasmania, and Victoria are all furnishing us with some 1 splendid lines of crossbred wools from 36’s to 58’s quality. Let the reader always bear in mind that quality stands as the first essential in every fleece of wool, and that any lack in this' particular cannot he atoned for by me presence of other characteristics. I made some remarks recently on me lowering of the standard of merinos wy pastoralists in Australia, and must sav that there appear to be many who are doing their utmost to evolve a class of sheep which will prove to he above anything else “hale fillers.” No doubt pastoralists arc justified in conducting tlieir business on proper lines and no reasonable complaints ca.n he offered against them making tlieir business pay and securing as god returns as are made from any other commercial calling, but I. do say with all seriousness that it will be a huge mistake for anyone to run too much in ths direction of weight without paying due regard to quality, and 1 make a strong plea for the maintenance of th is essential. .LENGTH OF STAPLE. Another characteristic which is always to be found in good fleeces of wool is length of staple. I am glad that the importance of this feature is being fully realised by all wool grow- ■ ers, but there is no doubt that breed and season play an important part in determining the length of the staple. It is impossible for a grower to estimate the value of length as well as a topmaker, a.spinner or a manufacturer. A good length of staple means a greater weight of wool from the sheep, which, all tells its tale when the clip comes to he sold, but without a decent length, it is impossible to comb and spin a good yarn, and unless you have the latter, a satisfactory fabric cannot be made. ■ For the reader to understand clearly the value of length of staple he needs to go carefully through the combing and

j spinning operations, when he would •soon find what trouble and loss is involved in attempting to comb and spin wool that is too short. In order to drive home tli© importance of this characteristic, I will use a simple illustration. If the reader will put together say, half a dozen fibres which have been clipped from the head of a woman with long hair, and then put together and twist some which have been cut from the head of a man, lie will find that by twisting the two sets separately he will have a much longer and stronger strand of hair from the former than, from the latter. It is on exactly the same principle that satisfactory wool spinning .is conducted, and a good long staple in a fleece is a very valuable and important point. lam glad to see that on various hands growers are appreciating this characteristic, and buyers will always prefer a nic e length to a short grown, stumpy staple' of wool. In connection with the above a special word of advice might be given to the pastoralists of South Africa, where shearing twice a year still largely holds sway. In many cases financial considerations may enter into the matter, hut I could never yet see the wisdom of shearing merino sheep every six months, and there is no other country in th o world where six month’s shearing is practised. Some contend that the returns per head are better than when shearing is done every twelve months, but upon that point- I am unable to pronounce a reliable verdict. However, I am glad to say that the most up-to-date farmers are shearing every twelve months, and the sooner all others follow suit the better it will be for the trade. All six month’s shorn wool have a limited demand, and they arc used only for clothing purposes which moans that they are not so much called for as combed wools. OTHER IMPORTANT FEATURES.

Another important characteristic in judging wool is soundness of sta-ple. There is all the difference in the world between a long and weak staple, and a long and sound one. Fibres of wool which have grown together and form a staple in the fleece should ho as sound as possible. I am well aware of the fact that climate and pasturage play a more important part in determining this characteristic than anything else, but weak stapled wool always means increased loss, together with an unsatisfactory fabric at the finish. A “mushy” wool is one that can never appeal to the buyer, and never sells as well as one which is sound.

Then again, there is the question of “clean yield,” or condition. Except in specialities, what a wool will give when scoured is one of the principal factors in deciding its price, for when the raw material is bought, due regard is always paid to the relation of its price to that of the combed article, i.e. tops, or in other words what weight it will give when clean scoured. This . factor should he borne in mind by growers wlio are neighbors and whose wool does not make the same money, though to all appearances one is equal to the other. Grow, ers cannot always determine the market price of their clip, simply because they are not expert in deciding what it will bring. lam a strong advocate of wools being properly prepared for market, well skirted, and the various parts of the shorn fleece sold separately. MARKET CONDITIONS.

I am at a less what to say about the market, for t-lie coal strike dominates everything. It would be quite easy to writ© a report if the trade only knew what was going to happen, and how long the present differences between mine owners and their men were going to last. As I write this, however, there is no announcement of a definite settlement, though possibly before this letter is posted tlie good news may he forthcoming. All I can say is, that in consuming centres one situation remains unchanged. Naturally, the week’s business has been distinctly less in volume that when I last wrote, but prices are no weaker. That is one of tho most surprising tilings about the whole market. It is remarkable that when the trade of the whole * country is paralysed, wool values should remain- -steady and intact. Various views are held respecting tho outlook. Some are making tlie most out of the belief that tho purchasing power of the public is being so crippled that it means a had summer’s trade.