OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 906, 27 August 1910, Page 15

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

■.JUDGING WOOL AT THE ROYAL. (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, July 1, 1910. Last week the writer had n delightful experience, it being my privilege to net as jtidgo at the wool section at tho English Eoyal Agricultural Show held at Liverpool. This is certainly the largest and most important exhibit in the United Kingdom, all the best stock and produce being exhibited at the Eoyal. There was present on the ground a largo number of colonial pastoralists; in fact, stock breeders from every country of the. .world gather upon tho ground of the lioyal Show. The reader may not know, but this show rotates, it taking place at one big city one year and moving on to another the next. All the best live stock breeders in Great Britain exhibit, anil a win at the.Eoyal at once stamps the owner as possessing stock of no ordinary merit. All the various sections of live stock were exceedingly .well filled, and a better supply was never seen at any previous oxhiuit,.. My- business was to go over tho wool- section and award tlie prizes.. To be very candid, . although there,were eleven classes and 99 entries., still the section might have been better filled, and with the substantial prizes offered more support ought to be forthcoming. However, all the leading British breeds of sheep were represented, and competition proved exceedingly keen in two or three classes. As usual, English long ivools came the first, and among the Lincoln breeds two old competitors sent in an exhibit. It might be here mentioned that every entry had to consist of three unskirted fleeces, shown in their entirety. In addition, it is the custom in England to river or hand wash sheep before being shorn, and an' exhibitor has'the privilege of, either showing his fleeces in the greaso or washed. If the latter is adopted no soap or warm water is to he used,, the judges being urged to disqualify at onco any entry which in their opinion lias not been washed in an ordinary commercial seiise! Ono lot hail clearly- been hmuiied with soap and. water, consequently the entry was disqualified straight away. If there is one thing that I hate it is in a competition of this chnractor to give ono party a'n advantage over the other. Every person, should be made alike, and "where an unduo -advantage is sought for such ia'practice should at oiice bo discountenanced. Taking the exhibits as a whole, they were exceedingly good, a fact which could only he expected, seeing that England's best breeders of sheep sent in fleeces. Two or three more, lots came very near being disqualified, but all things considered, wo found it only necessary to,cancel one entry. 'As 'already' said, Lincoln - fleeces .were sent in by only two breeders, namely, .Mr. H. Duddiug, of Eiliy Grove fame, and Mr. W. B. Swallow, also a wellknown breeder of this famous sheep. Although ' the entries here were somewhat ■ small, still competition was fairly keen, Sir. Swallow being given first place for. three well-grown typical Lincoln fleeces,' just a i shade finer than those of Mr. H. Dudding. The latter gentleman was given second and third positions. It has been said by coloninl buyers of Liuculn sheep that our stud breeders are not giving that attention to the fleece they should, and .that of late ytars' there lias' been a little deterioration in .quality of -this famous breed. There, may be some justification for this statement, but it should never bo forgotten that the bulk of. 'Lincolns never range more than 30's quality,. and the fleeces judged come to, itllat. standard. -.Thoy. were : deep mown, ■ sojindj\s]iaf fy; and 'of a very nice cliarac'■ier indeed..-!.:. V... . •■ In the Leicester or Border Leicester: class there were six entries, and the wool here showed good length of staple, good quality., and plenty of weight. Mr. J. W. Harrison, for three Leicester gimjnor f, hogs, y\vas: placed first, Mr. George 'Harrison taking second and third, being ■also highly commended. These were nico: wools, and showed a good wealth of fleece. - Thof ' keenest competition of / all 'was seen in the Kent or Eomney Marsh' wools, and hero there were v. iess than eighteen entries. These wools varied a little, some- showing slightly 'different, characteristics to tho "others, duo un.doubtedly to the . climate and pasturage on which the sheep had been reared. At the same time the show as a whole was a particularly good one, and gavo evidence that this well-known breed is. maintaining its sound, useful. character-'. istics. Kent wool is usually, designated' in the trade as "domi-lustre," and during the past fivo years lias grown much; in popularity. This sheep is being in-' creasingly bred in New Zealand and South Africa, and it produces a fleece somewhat finer in , quality than either tho. Leicester or tho Lincoln, Good Eomney Marsh wool co.mes under. the category of 'medium quality crossbred, and this is .largely bought''by the Home, Continen-' ! tal, and American''trades: This staple 'suits , 'practically, every trade whero lustre is not.wanted. Tho wool as a rule is somewhat spongy and ,i trifle blobby, and;this is very much.in evidence in tho fleeces which aro grown in'tho Falkland' Islands and at the extreme end of South America. The first prize wont to Mr. C. •Eile,.second and third to .Messrs. L.. H;, and ; G.\-.W. Fin -for yearlings, while 1 tho' ■•reserved , went to Mt. J. Egerton Quested -The Wensleydale is not a breed of sheep very well known outside its own natural habitat, but is none tho less a very useful animal, particularly in tho North of England, where it is, usually used for mating with ' other breeds iia producing, half bred lambs. This is a big, fine, upstanding sheep, and very popular, in Yorkshire and the surround-ing-countries: -The first prize was given to three well-grown and somewhat fine fleeces belonging to Mr. H. Chester, the second went to Mr. Thomas Parlour, and the third to Lord Henry Bentick, M.P;,' while the. Exors of the late Mr. Thomas Willis Were highly commended. < I am certain that .quality had a good deal to do in deciding, the position of the prizotakers. This wool shows as much lustre as even a pure Lincoln breed, and is certainly somewhat fined in quality, as well as longer in staple. In the class for any other long wool breeds there were thirteen i entries. Tho first and reserve went to Mr. 1 , . S. Merson for Devon longwool ewes, second to Mrs. A. C. Skinner and Son' for the same breed, and third to Mr.. P. While. This class of fleece is somewhat coarse in quality, and I am .strongly inclined to think that either Lincoln or Cotswold blood has-been employed at somo time in producing this class.of sheep. It is to uo found only in Devon and Cornwall, and the quality ranges from 32's to 40's, the bulk being 36's. / It is fairly bright, and naturally of good length, like all other long-wool fleeces.- : Tho Southdown class was very poorly represented, one breeder filling all the three sections, and consequently obtained all the prizes. This old English breed ouglit to command a much better exhibit, and there should have been at least a dozen entries. The Shropshire class proved to Iμ n very entertaining 0110, notwithslxuilitig theru were only eix entries. Considering the important position this breed occupies among English sheep, there ought to have been three times the entries. However, some very nice fleeces were shown, really typical of the breed. Messrs. Sale anil Son were awarded first and second class; A. W. Henderson, third; and Frank B. Bnch was highly commended. Then, there is a class for three fleeces of any other short wool, and hero especially keen competition was experienced, thoro had Eyoland, Dorset Horn, Suffolk, being no loss than fifteen'entries. Wo Cross, Shropshire, and Southdown yearling ewes, as well, as Exmoor yearling wethers. All these comprised one class, Mr. W.' R. Flower taking first and third for Dorset Horn shearling ewes, the second going to Sir. D. ,7. Thomas for Kyuland -yearling ewes, Mr. H. A. Christy being commended for his Rycland fleeces. Then came the Welsh wools, there lioiiig no'less than twelve competitors. Wools from that part of Great.Britain are very varied in character, nml are moru of (i crossbred character than anything. Ono can Ret • what is known us improved "Welsh, whicli nre certainly a- vast improvement on Ilia ordinary class of mountain breeds. Here we had a big difference in the fleeces shown, some being nicu nml line, and giving indications of a.Shropshire cross, while others were still somewhat kempy. The first and second prizes went to Mr. Tom f.eathes for yearling ewes and wethers, Illiril to Mr.-VI. 0. Ellis, and highly comuieuded to the same geiitlemau. The

"aged" ewes shown seemed to bo out of place, for the fleeces of young sheep first shorn are bound lo be better in quality and character than tho lleeces from'old. eives. Then cnuic Cheviot',wools, aud here wo had a nico chow-of '-woll-grown; sonnd, nml good fleeces.. The exhibit was'small but good, the first going to Mr. K. Graham, second to slr. Jacob Kobsbn, and 'third to Jlr. Tom loathes. The show of Scotch blackfaced was very disappiiintiiij,', and hardly worth any recognition at all. Evidently .'the ideas of wool-buyers and growers vary considerably, for on the whole these were, some'what strong and very kempy. However, Mr. E. Graham was awarded first, second and third going to Mr. John Darqne, and Mr. Phillip Sowerby being highly commended. I say unconditionally that if this section cannot be improved, then it wants abandoning. /

A BETTER TONE IN BRADFORD. The past week has not been productive of anything really different to what wo have previously outlined, although there is perhaps a somewhat better tone in consequence of there being a little more inquiry. Since' we last wrote a shade inoro , business has been done, chiefly in merinos, but the prices actually paid are on the new and lower basis. Those who have been holding out for values current a month ago havo done no business, and are now disposed to consider favourably an offer round 2s. 4Jd. to 2s. sd. for a decent 64's top. In crossbreds thero is not a great deal of change to' chronicle. Fine descriptions arc fairly firm, but really nothing better can l>e said regarding medium and fine qualities, and it is possible to operate at a fraction less than what topmakers are quoting. There is too much wool in sight to lead to any pronounced activity, and tho continued quietness across the Atlantic tends to shake the confidence of users in any talked-of rise.