OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 15

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

THE FAIR IN COLEMAN STREET. ' (From Our Special Correspondent.! . Bradford, March 'i, 1910. Any series of London sales always looms large in tho eyes of the trade, that big event being watched very keenly. Tho list of arrivals is always conned most minutely, tho whole trade watching week by week wool pile up, especially from the various States in the Com'mon•woalth. Some reader may think .this is, a small item, but anyone 'n closo touch with users can 6ee at once that the character -of the offerings is always determined by .the different classes of wool i that come from each State in Australia, Now Zealand, and South Africa. Just at present the season is beginning- for the arrival' of "new clip" wools from' Punk Arenas and the Falkland Islands, and .there is therefore every' likeliness of there being a very adequate show of wool at the forthcoming sales that will meet all the requirements of the trade. It. is my purpose in this) letter to analyse briefly, tin arrivals, give a short outline of the character of the wools from the various countries represented, and so educate growers: and those who do not attend Colemnn Street, respecting tho various . features found in the wools of the Commonwealth. First of all it is essential to a list of arrivals for the forthcoming March series, and alongside I also show tho quantity for tho corresponding series a year ago:— I . • ■ NET AVAILABLE QUANTITIES. : ', ' ■/■-■ . '.909. 1910. : ■ .-. Bales. Bales. New. South Wales ...... 36,000 • 20,800 Queensland . ....■ 14,000 ' 7,700 Victoria :> .....'. 19,000 9,700' South Australia 7,000 2,200 West Australia • : 14,000 13,500 Tasmania ........'..'.......: 2,000 800 New Zealand ............. 91,000 70,(500 South Africa'. 10,000 9,600 Totals 196,000 141,000 LEADING CHARACTERISTICS. In tho wools of New South Wales wehave an article in which predominates merino blood, the staple being as a rule well : grown, sound, . and useful. The premier state, does not turn out such. deep, shafty wools a3 South Australia— the quality usually ranging .froni (M's to 70'sr-with the•,_ exception of Riverina, these wools being deeper grown and broader in staple than any other part of New South; Wales. Where .. we get fineness of.fibre- we always obtain spinning property,' and for the production of small yarn.s tha product from the premier State is very good. Then the wools como a good colour, though there is hardly that whiteness there is about the wools_ from Victoria, , but , where good spinning is of first consideration they do admirably. Both the cliinato and pasturage of that part of the Commonwealth seems very, well suited for producing these fine-haired fibres, and the'wools are largely bought both by. the Home and Continental trades, but they are not supported by America as are the wools of Victoria. '. . . ;■„ . •

Queensland vrools are very similar in character to the 'wools '. ai. New South ■Wales, there,:heing, if ,'anything. a little finer quality.. Somehow or other the climate arid., pasturage of Central, Northern, , and western Queensland, produces a tender-grown-wool, unless, the season is a very good:one. ■;We get a nice .length? of* staple, average condition, but tho predominant features are fineness of fibre and good spinning and finishing properties. 'The Darling Downfc produces the strongest-fibred wools, and nore crossbred! sheep also do fairly well. At the Eame time we should say that both New South Wales, and Queensland■ will ever remain the home of the merino, and pastoralists there will: do well to concentrate all their attention upon cultivating this favourite sheep. : ''.'.."'«■. .* *■' • i .._ ..*':■■■■* ■;-. ' Tho wools from Victoria I call par excellent, and that is proved by the tiptop prices. which are made for the clips produced i.n that part of the Commonwealth. Without doubt we get hero.both merinos and erossbreds' that arer grown to perfection; in fact, no other quarter of ; the globfi can produce wool equal in style'and * character'.' Tho quality is .always good, although on the whole hardly so fine as tho wools from New South Wales or Queensland. Oftentimes tho wools are very burry, but these clips mostly come ironi the northern part of the State and Riveiina, tho squatters in this large woil-gr-nving area bfcing very ■fond, of marketiii!,' their' clips at ■ Melbourne, where, they are catalogued as Victorian produce. . The wools .of South Australia have this last ten.years come to the-front in a relnarlcable way, and they occupy to-day a much better position than ever they did, thanks to the progressive nature of sheepbreeders, and more especially those engaged in breeding stud stock. The bulk of the,clips from ; this part of the Commonwealth show distinctly different features to the wools from' the three States already mentioned, being, somewhat rqd and , earthy, although well grown, sound, and shafty. Some people think there has been a distinct depreciation in the quality of the wools from South Australia, due to growers going in for a very deep stapled fleece, and a sheep of more, robust character than the average run of merinos. I am not going to say that squatters have.made,a mistake in doing this, 1 for tho simple fact that these strong, shafty, GO's merinos selL ■ very well, especially to the Yorkshire and American trades. There is always a good length of staple, a very sound growth; although oftentimes the wools are a' little burry. From the south-eastern portion of South Australia we get wools . altogether different, from the; midland and north districts, they being more like those of West Victoria* being soft and silk-like in handle, fine quality, and always sell remarkably well. ■■••-..

Western Australia also produces a variety of raw material, the. bulk. being somewhat earthy, and very similar in style, quality and condition to'the. clips of South Australia. During'the. past five years there has been a great development in sheep-breeding throughout this State, and the wool ; sells remarkably well, to Bradford topmakers especially. A somowhat lighter condition would be a. distinct advantage to the wools from this part of Australia. ' ' Tasmanian wool occupies just about the same position as do the wools of Victoria, Ijut this last few years there has been a great departure from the old-time breeding' of merinos, and to-day we are getting from the'"Garden of Australia" wools ,01 almost every quality. At the same time, there is always a. very soft handle, and plenty of breed" and quality in the staple. Tasmanian blood has done more for tho flocks' of the Commonwealth than anything else, and to-day its merino stud stock ranks among the .finest in the .world.

New Zealand is to-day an important contributor to the wool stocks of the world, and every quality is grown, from 56's to 70's. The bulk of the wool produced is of a crossbred character, and it is providing some splendid material, without 'which the textile world would bo very badly off. New Zealund is to-day oarrying a record number of sheep, and its crossbred wools produce a great variety of materials, tho Homo trade being a long way the largest buyer. South African . wools aro essentially merino, and nil aliko are glad that at last a forward policy is in operation, though a large number of fanners still shear their sheep twico a year; which is a ridiculous thing to do. They nre very fine in quality, but oftentimes the prepnratipn for market is deficient.. The fibro is very fine, generally running up to. 70's, and when scoured they come a brilliant white. Cape wools aro a little thin in the.hair, but otherwise the stock is very good, especially when of twelve months' growth. There is still produced a fair weight of coarse and coloured wool, coming, off the native fat-tailed sheep, this class of material being filled with komps, and is only fit for the coarsest kinds of fabrics. Tho sooner this breed of sheep is eliminated and tho ground taken up by merinos, the better.

A .MARKING-TIME MOVEMENT. Not a great deal that is.new can bo chronicled in collection with this week's business, trado continuing sound and satisfactory in every •narticuJar. Tho principal operations consist of topmakers completing old contracts, and tops continue to go out vory freely indeed. It

is really surprising tho free way spinners are taking in tops, and there seems'to bo no end to their consumptive capacity. So long os w'ool moves freely towards combs, spindles, and looms, little fear need be felt over prices. There continues to bo fixed up a fair amount of new contracts, and as far as one can see there is every prospect of consumption being well maintained. . In the caso of crossbreds, coarse qualities nro not moving, so freely as they might do, but really speaking some good quantities are going off, and nothing by way of any serious set-back is contemplated. Business Is good, particularly in carded descriptions, and the samo can bo said for 50's and sG's.