AMERICAN DEMAND FOR WOOL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 8

AMERICAN DEMAND FOR WOOL.

THE QUESTION OF SCOURINC. Hio wisdom of scouring wool before dispatch to. the New Zealand wool sales or before shipment to London is deserving of con'sidoration from wool producers. O.no of the advantages to be sought in tho .scouring.of wool is tho securing , of' stronger American competition. Tho Americans, it is well laio.wn, prefer to send to their country wools of- tho best quality and lightest condition, and'wherover they find those characteristics prosent in the wools offered, their'bids are specially animated. The heavy duty on wool imported into America makes this discrimination,on the part of American buyers rigidly necessary, as their principals cannot afford to pay: about sixpence per pound in freight and duty on-tons of heavy grease and dirt or oil iuforior wools. The production of a superior fibre depends on skilful breeding, feeding, and. classing on. the farm itself. Grease, on the othor hand, may bo removed by scouring. The . question for tho sheep-farmer to consider is .whether lie . is the right-man to do the sconring, whether, in these days of co-operation, tho task could be) - undertaken by a combination of farmers, or, whether ' it should bo done. by tho professional wool-scourers. No doubt, tho answer to tho question depends on the amount of efficiency shown in the work, for tho extra price obtained for badly-scoured wool would (as in most other matters) bo unlikely to pay expenses. Apparently, however, local scouring is practicable, for Messrs Ross and Glendining, Ltd. (to quote a prominent example) are having most successful results. in tho scouring of the wool used in the Roslyn products. Mr. Grigg, a representative of the manufacturers of tho well-known cleansing agent called Wyandotte, states that ■ the Roslyn wools aro scoured by the aid > of Wyandotte, with remarkablo . success. This

material, ho says, has overcomo tho difficulty previously experienced in eradicating brand marks, removing every trace of stain. In tho scouring as genorally done, half Wyandotte and half neutral soap \(that is, a soap absolutely frco from resin) are used and this, it is said, removes not only the grease but also tho silica which lodges in tho serrations of tho wool. In tho old process a strong alkali was nccessary to properly clean tho wool, and this tended to burn and spoil tho fibro. It is claimed that with tho uso of Wyandotte tho wool can bo thoroughly cleansed without any danger of injury, and at a temporaturo as high as ICO degrees, tho temperature formerly considered safe under the old methods boing limited to 110 or 120 degrees, lest burning (indicated by a yellowing of tho fibres) should result.

Wo have seen a splendid range of samples erf Roslyn wools scoured in tho manner indicated, and at the recent Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Show, held in'Dunedin, special certificate of merit was awarded for a most effective disp]ay of wools 6courod with the commodity referred to. Witli such a changing market as that of wool, and with such, great possibilities in connection with tho fostering of tho American demand, wool-growers and wool-scourers may bo wise in carefully watching tho needs of tho times in this and other directions, and if, as abovo stated, the u!>o of Wyandotte Wool Scourer means perfect results. .1 trial should undoubtedly ■ commend itself to thoso who aro seeking a . larger market and more profitable returns. 9317