FINE WOOL.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18481, 8 September 1925, Page 6

FINE WOOL.

AUSTRALIAN DEFICIENCIES.

SOUTH AFRICAN COMPETITION

(raos oca ows coiULEsrc.\"D2S7.i LONDON, July 10. Some amusement was caused at the Bradford Wool Conference owing to a friendly duel between the representatives of Australia and South Africa. It appears that owing to a gcod season Australian wool at present in process of manufacture does not display the fine quality that ia usual, and that manufacturers look for. In seasons of dronght fine wool occurs, but in a good, season the sheep prosper and grow a heavier and coarser coat, South Africa, on the other hand, has been sending over quantities of fine wool produced from sheep of an Australian origin *.n Australian suggested that the time had arrived when tho Commonwealth Government should prohibit the export of merino sheep to the Cape. Another speaker recalled the fact that vears a«r> Australia obtained ostriches from Cape Colony, but they were a dismal failure. When Australia sent merinos to the Cape, however, the Africans showed their gratitude by becoming Australia's greatest competitor. Mr Harry Dawson spoke on the subject of fine wools. The position was very serious, he said. Fine rich wool had always been a feature of Australian clips. It had been the great asset and pride of Australia. It was used for the choicest men's and ladies' wear, and the finest underwear, and for the muslins and crepons which were made in Japan. This year these wools were extremely scarce. There were a few verv fine-haired wools still coming from the inland districts, but they were nothing like equal to previous years. Even' spinner on the Continent or in Bradford would corroborate that. There were people both on the Continent and in Bradford who had got from a 70's to an 80's clip from (South Africa. It was the best clip South Africa had givon them. He hoped they would not be led away into commoner qualities.

Australia Must Beware. The Oapo was going to be the biggest competitor Australia ever had. He thought the general opinion of spiapers was that they had to build up their quantities this year to get their fine clips from Cape wools. He did not want Australia to lose its pride. They were told that it was- due to the good season. Was that right? ("Yes. , Evidently the sheep got too fat and luxurious and the outcrop was the same. In seasons of drought thev alwavs got fine wools. New England wools, which were the best, had been more keenly bid for in London this last week than any othe/ classes offered. They were fetching up to 36d and they were not high-yielding wools. A.good ordinarv 64 ; s Queensland and Svdney wool of the same yield would hardly fetch 25d, and those New Englands were fetching 32d to 36d. "Our annual quotations for good average 64 s wool was about 4od clean—scoured * s the basis we rely on. The normal difference between 64.'s and 70's m average years has generally been about 4d or 6d. Last week it was Is 4d to Is od scorned. A man who is keeping up his quality is getting paid just now. I believe that difference, the extra value of quality, will be greater next year than this " . An Australian grower explained tnat he was once a grower of fine wools, but he found it more profitable to produce the coarser wools. His neighbour, who produced the former, had a weak and decreasing flock, while he had a healthy and increasing flock. In spite of the higher price his neighbour got for his •wool, he (the speaker) was better off owing to the greater weight of Lis wool and the healthiness of his flock.

i Grey Hairs. The question of grey hairs in wj waa raised by Mr Walter Andrews Radford), wno urged that wool growers should take great care in breeding sheep. There were Beveral classea of Down shesp which were full ot grey K the worst offender being thebutfolk/with black face and legs- There were plenty of Downs which »«b pra--3y free from grey hair, the &W----«hiw> Down, for instance, and anyone SnfChreed Down or Down cross wUh a view to producing mutton wooW be well adrised to keep to that strain. It was not a difficult question to avoid trev hairs, but it was a thing which Sd Sve manufacturers of much WWe It was a most vital point to Snufacturtrl, and it worked unconsciously against the interests of tl»e G. Behan (Queensland) said it was unfortunate th»- breeding was not controlled in Queensland. Some breeders took a a great deal of care to toep their stock good with careful breeding, while many others bought the nrst ram they could find for two or three guineas, and put that in among their flocks. It •was the type of sheep farming that produced bad wool. In speaking on the subject of Oap© wool, Mr J. Harold Smith remarked upon the vast improvement wnu.li had been made, and urged growers to produce a-5 much fine wool as they coulrt. Mr A. G. Michaelian (Sheep and Wool Expert, South African Government), who replied on behalf of the South African growers, said that the grey hair trouble must have arisen in the smaller flocks, as he knew for certain that the big breeders had certainly none of that trouble with their flocks. South Africa had great scope for the production of merino wool, but their greatest need was capital. They could produce merino wool which was too fine for manufacture, but they found that their best results came from sheep which were fairly robust, and not the .delicate sheep which produced the very fine wool. He. felt that the Australian and New Zealand growers of merino should not l>e alarmed al>out the merino wool production of South Africa, He regarded them as co-operators rather than competitors.