WOOL CLASSING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3777, 12 March 1913, Page 6

WOOL CLASSING.

A WORD TO THE SMALL FARMER

WHAT IT HAS DONE FOR SOUTH ■ AFRICA.;

AN IMPROVEMENT OF 100 PER

CENT

The supreme -importance of wool classing to sheep farmers has long been insisted upon, and throughout New Zealand to-day the large farmer has demonstrated that he recognises its paramount importance bj engaging the services of wool classers. It is tire small farmer who has failed to give the matter the serious attention it demands. Brokers have advocated for a number of years that dips from small farmers should be classed, and though some have acted on the suggestion, there still remains room for a very large improvement. The New Zealand farmer has, of course, a market for his clips in liis own country. But it is the English markets that dominate the-situation. And no one has more thoroughly grasped this fact than the South African farmer—not the Dutch farmer, who is still content to proceed along the old primitive lines, but the Colonial who, after the war, traversed the Drakensburg mountains into the Orange Free State and bought, at a ridiculously low price land, at anything from 1000. to 3000 morgen in size, and land which, too, is proving to be some of the finest for sheep-rearing in the world. Those who have lived and moved, and had their being on the Free State farms within the past three years, and who have subsequently visited London and Bradford, know the high reputation in which wool from the sub-continent is now held, and the high expectations that still await it. Indeed, since the war South African wool has improved 100 per cent., largely through the importation of Australian and English rams. And in this connection of competition between one country and another, proximity to England is not an altogether unimportant factor, and consequently South Africa, with its excellent and rapid railway facilities from the wool growing centres— Harrismith as one, for instance to Durban, stands to gain in some way from Its propinquity to tho Old Country. From what recently passed at the annual meeting of the Gisborne Hign School Board it was gathered that the local wool classes had not been as well attended as the might have been, and a “Gisborne Times” reporter yesterday made some inquiries into the matter. From these he learned that the Board is endeavoring to form classes in the various districts, as it has done for the last three years. It has wisely decided to continue the services of Mr J. T. Cahill for another twelve months. The secretary of the Board has written to persons in various out districts asking whether classes can be arranged in their districts, and on receipt of replies arrangements will be formulated. It is to be _ hoped, now that such efforts are again being put forward, that there will be a hearty response, as those who have taken the matter up for the past three or four years have simply been actuated by one desire—the welfare and future prosperity df tlie jsma.ll farmer in the Gisborne district. In the course of conversation yesterday with a gentleman who has spent many active years in connection with wool matters, and than whom few are more qualified to express an opinion on the subject, it was pointed out that if the market got a set back then the smaller mail would find it to his interests to class his wool properly. “Naturally a brand that gets a name for being well classed and well sorted will always command good competition,’’ said the person in question (with emphasis); “and what is wanted to be done is to protect the farmer from a day when the markets get a set back, because it must not be forgotten that the prices of wool have fluctuated considerably m the past.” The American buyer, he added, was out for a clean, fine wool, for the reason that the duty on wool was equal to 5d a lb., and he was certainly not going to pay duty for wool that was not suitable for his market. Mr Cahill has already pointed out in an admirable paper that it will pay the small farmer handsomely if he only learns to do his wool up so as to obtain a better price. He has emphasised the fact that one has only to look at the number of clips that are the same quality and conditionfetching different prices. Mr Cahill gives examples. For instance : Two distinct farmer’s clips at the recent London wool sales, same quality and condition. One skirted, kept his cotted dingy out, and had his pieces and bellies separate. The other just rolled it all up, everything, in. The latter obtained the small price of Sfd all over, hardly the price of inferior wool. The first got Sid t-o 12d for his respective lines. “In packing wool,’’ says Mr Cahill, “always put the fleeces in the press singly, and put the shoulders down first for a few rows, then reverse the fleece. By this method your wool will show out nice and bloomy when exposed for sale, and the buyer can easily see the quality and condition of the wool. You will see hundreds of bales exposed for sale with the fleeces put into the press anyhow, so that a buyer can hardly get a fleece out of the hale to value it. Do not press the bales of low-conditioned wool too heavily; the bales should not be more than 4 cwt. Having bales not too heavily pressed gives the buyer a chance to get some wool out to value it. If the buyer cannot get enough wool out to value, the grower has to suffer, as the buyer will always naturally value it on the right side.” Such invaluable information as this paragraifh contains, gives some indication of the thorough and compre-

hensive manner in which Mr Cahill

treats this important question. He deals with it in simple language “that is understanded of the people,” marshals his facts with the necessary effect, and points the moral That adorns his statement. That and permanent good must ensue from such a course of lectures, conducted as they have been and will lie in future on systematic lines, is patent. The authorities are to be congratulated upon their determination to give farmers once again the opportunity of taking advantage of such an excellent course of lectures, and it must be borne in mind that the farmer who pays heed to them will reap a better price than the man who neglects his wool.