A FEILDING SHEEP INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1291, 21 November 1911, Page 8

A FEILDING SHEEP INDUSTRY

.HE. 11. .EOBEKTS'S. WOOL STOEES. •An instance of the importance of Fcilding, the principal sheep stock sale centre in the Wellington province, is provided liy the establishment of Mr. Hugh Roberts, ivoolbrokor,' on the Kimbolton Koiitl. Mr. Koberts's business deals especially with that of. tjie sheep, in the iorm of wool, pelts, skins, and sheepshearing, and his- wool, sicins, and bides sales, which are heicl every month, are well tilled with entries, ami, in addition, attract tho principal 'colonial and foreign buyers' representatives. At tiie sales there are oli'ered from 80 to 100 bales of wool,- IGQO to 2000 sheepskins, 700 to 1000. hides, and 1 200 bags and more of wool. In connection with the industry, Mr. Kobeits has a shospjsiiearing-plant"which has been of great convenience to farmers, especially thosp residing on the newlysettled portfous of the Main Trunk line, .find who are buying stock in tho Feildint,' district. ' Sheep are purchased • and driven to Mr. .Roberts's woolshed in the tmvn, shorn, and then dispatched to Te lvuiti, Hamilton, and other localities. By .theso means the purchaser gets his sheep shorn on the spot, whereby ho saves wool freight, and the wool is classed,-, pressed, and sold on the premises. Last ye.tr, Mr. Roberts sheared 20,000 sheep at.'his shed, and this season the number is expected-to-reach -15,000, which will include a large lot of lambs for the Main Trunk line. There are four stands at the shed, utilised by'such, well-known, fast, and careful shearers.as S.V., H., and W-Duffy, and J. Burns. Each can turn out his 200 sheep per day, well shorn. Tho charges l'or this comprehensive work are moderate, and include the cost of everything —baling, classing, and delivery on tho railway trucks at I'eilding. So far. over 12,000 siiccp have been shorn, the work lately having been stopped temporarily through wet weather. .

Under tho superintendence of Mr. Koberts, tho business has grown wonderfully during tho past' three years, and it has been found necessary to additions to the premises from time to. iime. Satisfaction is guaranteed by an efficient stall', under Mr.- Roberts's personal supervision, and o!' which Mr. W. >'•. Prank is manager and accountant, and Mr. 11. E. Whitehead, storeiuan. With reference to tho ox-hides brought.' in by settlers, it was 'pointed- out to a, Dominion- representative by one of Mr. Roberts's, staff that' in many instances they are insufficiently salted, and very malodorous. Hides should be well salted (sixteen pounds of salt to one hide is fair treatment), otherwise they are bad to handle, and, in cases, even dangerous.