YORKSHIRE WOOL LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1434, 8 May 1912, Page 3

YORKSHIRE WOOL LETTER.

THE WOOL GROWN IN SCOTLAND. | (From Oar Special Correspondent.) : Bradford, March -JS, 11112. ' There are held at. Lcith, whic.i. by the , way, is the shipping port for the city of ] Edinburgh, in Scotland, periodical tales ' of Scotch wools, mid in the absence of a ' mora interesting topic, 1 might to-day ' direct the attention of readers to the class . of wools grown in that country. At the ' iast agricultural census tiu- number of i sheep being depastured in that part of Great. Britain's domains was returned at 7,lli,tilti, and if we average out a. sheep as producing a fleece of Sib.', it gives a total production of 35,7a.2:;i11b. of wool. The reader will therefore see that such a large production cannot be ignored, especially when it is pointed out that a class of immaterial is being produced which is of a very useful kind. 1. have no particulars showing the numbers of the different breeds of sheep kept in Scotland, but without doubt the Scotch blackface largely predominates. • 1 should say that at least 7a per cent, of the sheep reared across the border are of this breed, the remainder being Cheviots, Border Lcieesters and halfbreds. The two first-named are essentially the product of Scotland, and both are highly priced for carcass and fleece. I have often been surprised that the Scotch blackface has not found a more soiid footing, particularly in New Zealand, the liiver Plate, Patagonia, and tho Falkland Islands, and for that, matter the United States and Canada, but so far as our colonies are concerned the breed seems to ba of too slow a maturing nature to command the attention of those pastorallsts who are engaged in producing "freezers" for the .English market. I am not: in a position to say whether the blackface has had a fair trial or not, but there is no doubt that its somewhat lighter fleece does not comparo very satisfactorily with that produced hy i\ first cross between a , merino owl 1 and a Liur.iln or Leicester sire. When all is said and done, colonial and Paver Plate pastoraiists want a sheen that is a good "freezer," and will turn off eight or ten pounds of wool, but: I am afraid that the blackface will never come up to this high .standard of excellence. However, Scotch sheep farmers have . other compensations, and t.icy .are to be complimented on possessing such useful breeds as flic Uievi.d, and the one under dismission. Other breeds are so little kept that thev are' iiardly worth mentioning. No doubt tile Uori.er Leicester or improved English Leicester is-doing good service, though to a largo extent it is a stationary breed. HISTOIir OF THE BLACKFACE. The origin of the Scotch Blackface is undouijleilly shrouded in mystery. Whence the breed originally sprung has not been revcaied m any of the historical records yet: brought to light. Several (henries have been advanced as to its possible origin. One is, that it is the native original sheep of the country, and with this view ] am inclined to agree. AVhat other breed of sheep bred in (lie British . Isles is more suitable for the rough mountain sides and glens of Scotland than the Blackface? Another theory is that it was introduced into Eltrick Forest by James IV, King of Scotland in 1503, but tho old records omit to tell us where tho royal husbandman sccurcd the flock of 20,000 sheep which ho is stated to have brought into Selkirkshire, though they are supposed, with small reason perhaps, to have been brought from Fifes hire. A lace of sheep similar to the Scotch Blackface is said to have existed in Yorkshire at a very early period, and it is, of course, possible that tho King may have brought them from that quarter.; but here, again, no evidenco exists to prove that he did so. It is true that large.numbers of real Scotch Blackfaces are to be found to-day in the dales of Yorkshire, but in somo districts flocks are kept which van- somewhat from those bred in Scotland. For instance, in Swaledale, in Yorkshire, a mongrel breed of Scotch Blackface is bred, and when I have looked upon these sheep, I have been certain that originally they wcru the real genuine sheep from Scotland. They are about the same size as the Highland breed, but whether they have been crossed with T.onks or not, is hard to say. 31y view is that they have, for the fleece of this Swaledale Scotch cross is short and somewhat finer than that of a typical Scotch sheep, the fleece of the former being a mixture of Lonk and Scotch. However, there is no doubt about tho Highland breed having been kept in Scotland for centuries, and today it is to be found as fresh and vigorous as ever, having undergone a slight chango bock in carcass and fleece during tho past twenty-five years. I need waste no space in setting forth the excellencies' of this sheep, except to say that it is essentially one that can stand extreme cold, and it ilirives where tho majority of .sheep would die. The sweetness of its mutton has no parallel, unless it bo the Southdown, while its fleece is second to none for carpet manufacturing purposes. I have always maintained that Scotch. Blackfaco wool occupies ' a position all to itself, and when ad is sa-d and done oven East Indian wools which compete with it arc in many respects inferior. and as long as the world lasts Blackface wool will be "looked to far supplying the host carnot steel; possible. At the Lcith sale last Tuesday there was only a moderate attendance of buyers, and little disposition was shown to operate. The influence of the coal strike caused buyers to hold their hand, and no doubt 'this was the nrime reason for business being slow. There v;as not .a groat deal done under the hammer, out after the sale a uuinlier. of lots, vary.ng in quality- from fair to gcod, found purchasers at the prices given below:— Washed. Unwashed, d. d. d. d. naif bred hogs 11 to 11| fl to OJ Half bred wethers.. 10! to 103 &J ,0 Cheviot hogs 12.' Cheviot wethers ... 10.: to 11 9 to 0, Crossbred wethers .. ' - <3 to S 81-ackfaccd wcols were neglected. Tho United States continues to he a very .good market for Blackface; in fact, America has been largely responsible during recent years for making tho .rade m theso wools. They are nearly all used, ' as I have already said, for carpet purposes, and anyone wonting a thick spun yarn of a low quality cannot do better than use this class of material. The wool coming next in importance is Cheviot, and here, we have an article wbrch has made the name of , cotce. tweeds famous. Originally, the name Cheviot tweeds was derived trom thin Tweed of sheep, Cheviot wool m the mst instance being the raw material out ot which tho pieces were mode. Tho manufacturers of Galashiels and Hawick bid the foundation for • the present big trade that is dono ill tweeds, and there can be no doubt as to the wearin" qualities of these fabrics, tne wool is°popular among buyers of that; class ni material, is somewhat short in staple, rather fine .in quality, ranging from -111 s down to 40'?, ami is well suited for the purnoso named. Of course, a pood ueal of Now Zealand crossbred wool is now . u:«d for the same purpose, otherwise thoro would soon be a shortage and famine prices ruling. Cheviot wool is very much shorter in staple than colonial crossbred of a similar quality, and it is here where its special fitness comes in for producing woollen-made fabrics. The fleeces from tho other breeds of sheep such as tho Border Leicester and halfbreds an mostly combed and smiii into worsted yarns, and they are all either used locally, or disposed of to Bradford buyers.

CONSUMPTION CURTAILED. As would only lie expected when tho strike continued, consumption has been restricted, many mills being now brought to a comploto standstill. Others have paid fabulous prices for coal, which in ordinary times would have been passed by as rubbish, but now anything that will bum b'.-ing eagerly secured. Slack coal or smudge which had been in tile bottom of some sewage tanks just outside Bradford for ten years serving the purpose of Alteration, and which in the first instance would cost no more than ss. per ton. has been sold at 30s. per ton. including smudge, water, and everything. Growing uneasiness is being felt regarding the future, and it is now certain that the textile trade of this country cannot but be crippled for months to conic. The coal strike could not have happened at <v ivorse time when viewed from a textile standpoint, for already it is acknowledged that I he Latter trade in new clothes is ruined, and many month" will have to elapse before Ihe general public recovers what they have hi.-.f through enforced idleness. _ liusine-s this week lias been much curtailed, a- could only be. exnested. Xhe scdliiia of tops lias geascd

ulmo~l altogether, but tlio-e spinners who mi' running llu-ir mitl.- are asking for I hi' delivery of lops, which are being sent: to tlieir ultimate _ destination as fast as combs are turning llhmii i)Uf. This is very satisfactory, and shows Hurt (.tucks are' fairly low. Prices remain very firm and steady, and whilo saint? ;\re still wanting a iraction morc,\ " r >.',d. will secure a fair weight. Toj)niakers admit that it: is no light task making more money; in fact one wellknawn firm of merchants said to tile writer the other day that they could still buy at 2'id. for the hack end of April delivery. Very few seem at present inclined to increase their obligations, for although to-day there is a fairly keen dem.imi for wool, yet with the London sales being sa nci.ir at hand, manv are beginliinn In think that it will not lx> long before all pressure is relieved, and when the llood gates are opened there will le enough and to spare.