YORKSHIRE WOOL LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1442, 17 May 1912, Page 10

YORKSHIRE WOOL LETTER.

IMPROVING SOUTH AFRICAN WOOLS (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, April 5, UH2. The fact Uuir (Im'lns the past fortnight considerable quantities of Cape tops have been sold in (.-nns.iiiiiiiii; centres, directs atientiiiu to South African wools. 1 have said very Jit tic; about these ilurine, re-

cent months for the .-iinple reason that they run so regularly, like a pair of horses in 'a carriage, and can i>e mild to work

"hand in glove" with tins Australian combed article. It is this circumstance which deserve.-, attention, and is certainly worthy of being noted carefully by all wiielh'er they lie growers or 'sellers. I was -.peaking on llradford Exchange last Monday to «»e of the largest handle™ of Cape tops who frankly slated that his firm has done a very sati.-factory business during the last few (lays, .while, a second partv vcntui-Pil the opinion that South Africa would turn out :■, sensibly increased quantify of wool this season compared with a year .1150. It is this latter fact which cannot fail to be regarded with great satisfaction, for it shows' that sheep lanfiers and wool-growers in that part of Great Britain's domains are forging ahead at a most commendable pace. What else can bo expected when-" up-to-date methods and a forward policy are in T-ogue throughout the length arid breadth iof Ihe land? It is'quite' true that in I some districts thero is ample room for still great •improvement, "and. an accelerated speed is certainly desirable. Still, in the .wool world as everywhere else'we have to be thankful for smali mercies, and

we are glad that there is, o.iiy advancement at. all to be reported. Some few mouths ago letters appeared in a leading Australian pastoral rogah in which a restriction in tlio exportation of stud sheep to fiouth Africa was advocated, but I certainly-think-Hint such 'views were the product of a .very'parochial policy, and that there was no'justification whatever for tho writers taking up such an attitude. It does seem a pity that there should' be any talk whatever about putling a diity on the exportation of stud sheep,. and I am glad to be able to say that there is little likelihood of any such measures ever taking actual shape. THE KIvKD FOR AUSTRALIAN BLOOD. South African wool has ahvay.s shown a high standard of quality, and so far as that particular characteristic is concerned Australian stud sheep cannot possibly have any influence upon Capo wool. Many people use the term ''quality" in a wrong .sense, the word really signifying the smallness or fineness of the fibre, or, in other language, its spinning property. The word "quality" is used instead of the word "character," there being a great difference in the meaning of these two wool terms. The former, as I have already said, signifies to what count the wool will spin, while the latter denotes the general features of a short fleece. These points are well worth remembering by all pastoraiists the wide world over. 1 repeat that South African wools have never been lacking in the essential feature of quality, the bulk being Gt's to 70's. It is not here where there is any deficiency, South Africa as a whole favouring the production of n fine fleece of wool.. That the raw material has lacked, whether grown in the Cape, Orango Free State, Transvaal, or jSatnl, has been length; soundness, and robustness of staple. Lot no one take the latter to imply something which

is not.meant: It lias otteii'.bro'n remarked by users of .Capo wools that they were too lean in staple, and devoid of. Jife, vitality and elasticity. To the ordinary sheep farmer this may not appear to be of much importance, but it is all-important' to those who buy tho raw material and turn it Jnto yarns and pieces. Woo! that lacks life and vitality will never spin like that which is full of elasticity, for not only is there more waste, but the results obtained in the finished piece are never as satisfactory as when the wool is full of the essentials already named. I have maintained for years that it is exactly here where the infusion of Australian blood would improve the South African article, and the results attained on many flocks during the pas' two years confirm what 1 have said. I could mention many clips which have shown an all-round improvement of 15 to 20 per cent, by the introduction of Australian blood, fc.r while the clip may not have improved in quality or firmness, it has certainly become better in spinning capacity. This is as it should be, and I am positive that the last word has not been spoken in regard to the raising of the standard of perfection of tho South African clip.

SOUTH AFRICAN IN-BIiEEDING. 1 .am not an expert in dealing with the laws of production, but there is no doubt that (he iong, years of in-breeding adopted by merino sheep-owners at the Cape lias been entirely responsible for the deficiency- to which I havo already alluded. Some five to ten years ago a very strong prejudice existed in the minus of many, spinners against South African wools, and 1 am satisfied that the reason, is the one just given. It is a well-known fact that yarns and pieces made from South African wool never exhibit the full handling property possessed by fabrics made from Australian fleeces, the former being

"lean" and somewhat "papery." This is duo to the lack of vitality in the material used, but experience has proved that if the spinner runs up a. Capo top with three or four Australian tops, in the drawing operation, he.'gets excellent results. One eminent Bradford authority has brought out this fact during the past.winter in a.popular lecture on fcouth African wools, .and I am in a position to. say that these fleeces are more appreciated to-day than they have ever been in the history of'the trade. Every reader knows that for twenty-five years tSa Capegrown article has been under a cloud, and that. South African wools were the first to be affected by a decline . in values. During the past five years they have made considerable, headway, and now occupy a much more favourable position on the markets of Europe than previously. Everybody rejoices at this, and I see no reason why with care and attention South' African wool should not rise to a position equally as good as that occupied bv the material grown in the Commonwealth. But let no reader think that the same high price will be forthcoming for Cape wools (I am speaking just now of the whole of South. Africa) as can be obtained for the Australian, product. I have had many letters from sheep farmers inivarious park of South Africa, wanting to know why Australian greasy merinos frequently makeup to Is, 6d.per lb., while Cape wool seldom fetches above lid. The reason is not far to seek, and it centres around style, quality, handle, and condition. When Australian fleeces realise above, say, Is. 2d. per lb. in the greasy state, it can be taken for granted that thev are a speciality', the ordinary wools of the Commonwealth fetching no more than lid. to 12d. There has certainly been (luring the past two years a marked improvement in the "get-up of many South African clips, and this has helped 'to bring back the lost name of the Cape article. Still, there is further room for improvement, and there is a need on the part of the rank- and file to cease. Soaring six months, and to lock and skirt their fleeces in a. better way It ''s a foolish idea for any wool grower who does not skirt his fleeces, .to think that ho will get the same price as the mai> who carefully and systematically prepares his clip for market ma proper bii?incs«-like fn sin on. .1 no methods adopted bv Australian . pasjoralists are the standard for the worn, and v.lmt thev do can lie safely imitated by wool (rowers everywhere. T =re no reas'm why South Africa cannot increase its annual'oufmit by another 100.000 bales, and even then with the steadily mciwin" want* of the manufacturing world, there will be no surplus wool.