YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1875, 8 October 1913, Page 10

YORKSHIRE LETTER.

* AFRICAN WOOL, (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, August 29, 1913. There seems to bo some concern manifest in Australia lest South Africa should liecomc a-formidable-rival'of tile pastoraiists of tho Commonwealth in producing merino wool. 'I am not so sanguine of tho future of our merino wool industry," said the president of the New South AVales Shcepbreedcrs' Association at tho show lunclieon held at tho beginning of July in Sydney, and ho went on to say that he was afraiS that in 15 to 20 years' time they would find a great competitor in South Africa. We isee no reason whatever for such a pessimistic note being sounded by such an authority, and however much wo may rejoice in tho progress made in sheep-breeding and wool-grow-ing sinco the Boer war, it still .remains true that South Africa lias a very long way to travel boforo sho produces wool that will bo a serious competitor against THat of Australia. SOU??! AFRICA'S FAILING. By tliis weeks' njaijs wo have to hand a copy of the annual review of the J'ort Elizabeth Chamber of Conimerce" Tho report expresses surpriso that tho improvement has not been more rapid, especially as regards tlio condition and preparation for market of the clip -generally. Tho drawback to the bulk of Capo wool, and tho principal cause of low prices in tho greasy state, is tho low yielding capacity, or, in other words, tho dirty condition of tho clip as a whole. There aro somo progressive farmers in this country—unfortunately far too few—who get up their clips in a very praiseworthy manner, and the encomiums which have appeared ill tho press from time to time liavo led people who aro not in tho trade to believe that tho whole of tho Capo clip ij being rapidly improved. Such, Ij'owover, is not tho case. The abovo outlines tho chief deficiencies in the Capo clip,_ and it matters not how many Australian stud sheep aro imported annually, if farmers will persist in following the methods which liavo been in vogne ever sinco the Dutch landed in Capo Colony in the seventeenth century. We heartily approve of what has been dono by way of purchasing some of Australia's best stud sheep, for tlio infusion of fresh blood into many flocks is what is wanted.

SOME DETAILS GIVEN. ■"Anyone conversant with the bulk of tho South African clips knows that it is fino enough in quality, but it is thinhaired and usually very wasty. The infusion of fresh Australian blbod has to a very large extent counteracted tho former deficiency wherever Australian sheep have been imported, and we knowno belter means of prooucing a more bulky, fuller handling, and betterspinning fibre. Tho many centuries of in-breeding have resulted in the majority of sheep being -undersized, and • everyone knows that unless proper selection is made the climate will have such an effect upon tho growing fleece as to make it very fino in quality, but void of elasticity and the full handling property which is so desirable in producing a good spinning fleece. Tho worst feature of all in connec--tion with South African wool is its heavy condition', and the bad methods of preparation for market. Tlio old system of the storekeeper paying ono price for all tho clips in tlio same district is a bad 1 one, and so long as this method! of selling prevails an improvement can never bo expccted. If tho local storekeeper pays the same prico for good wool and bad, tho farmer taking a pride in his flock and preparing his clip' for market by skir.ting the fleeces properly receives no encouragement, henco more .pressure should bo brought to bear by thoso in responsible positions with a view to tho discontinuanco of such a practice, for it can never benefit tho staplo industry of the country. Tho day has gone by for woolgrowers leaving in their fleeccs tho heavy locks and bellies, and it is high time these wero removed and sold by themselves. The skirting of fleeccs, too, is a subject which will have to bo tackled in real earnest by tho Government experts. , Buyers have found by experience that it is impossible to est!-, mate tho "clean yield" of the heavy wools which South Africa is turning out, and when we' say that twelve months' wools aro being grown to-day that will not givo a clean yield of more than 28 to 30 per cent., it shows thatr something is wrong. Thcro is nothing liko a fleece of good clean wool for inspiring confidence and attracting tho eye of buyers, but wo should say that not 10 per cent, of tho clips of South Africa will give a clean yield of 50 per cent., and buyers would be satisfied if tho average were around 45 per .cent. South African wools are also spoiled by the excessive amount of natural grease which they contain.

UNGROUNDED FEARS. Tho moro wo consider this subject the more convinced wo aro that thero is no ground whatever for fear on tho part of Australian pastoraiists, and they .may with complete equanimity soil all the stud sheep they possibly can to their, South African compccrs. We aro very pleasod to see that tho plain bodied sheep are finding most favour with South African buyers, and believe that this class of sheep is tho best suited for flock improvement. Heavy wringly sheep are not fashionable to-day, and while no doubt in several Australian flocks the fleece is good, considering tho nature of tho present South African merinos, wo beliovo that the big, upstanding, plain bodied, sheep of the South Australian and Riverina order are by fa.r the best. As already said, Capo wools need to bo lighter, and Cape farmers can afford to sacrifice a little quality if by so doing they can get a longer and a bolder stapled fleece. Thero is plenty of room for the exportation of 100,000 Australian sheep, and wo hope that the programme of tho South African wool-grower will remain a progressive one, and that moro sheep than ever will be exported from tlio Commonwealth to build up the Capo 'flocks, and produce fleeccs showing more stylo, character, and better prepared for majket. CONDITIONS IN BRADFORD.

Tho market to-day has not shown any extensive change, but while tilings aro not muoll better, they aro not any the worse. Business is being put through perhaps in slightly larger volumes, although tho individual sales aro not for any heavy weights. Spinners aro disposed to cover any existing needs, but they emphatically refuse to pay more money, and although topmakcrs are very firm, tlie.v find that they aro having to meet their customers, and not the latter meet them. It has to bo a very good 64's to fetch 2s. 5d., that being the selling price to-day for some of the best tops oit the mnrkot. The general disposition is to view tho situation fairly optimistically, and expectations of what is likely to be done in the near future seem to bo improving. No doubt the prospect of tiiero being very limited supplies of morinos at the next London sales is cxercising a boneficial influence upon fine topmakers, and after the Brisbane results this week, llioy see tho futility of accepting anything loss than tho figures named. Bueinwa cannot bo said to bo jprmal aux. means, but all thei same,

there are sorao nice sales taking place in a quiot way at reccnt rates. There is also a fair amount of inquiry in tho crossbred section, particularly for tho finor sorts. Actual transactions are difficult to make 011 account of tho unwillingness of buyers to pay tho prices which are being asked. In very many cases there is a full Jd. difference between the prices wanted and those which prospective _ buyers aro willing to give, and this disparity is naturally tending to prevent business being done. At tho samo time, some firms aro succeeding in coming to terms with their clients by making slight concessions, and in tlie case of an ordinary 40's prepared top, tho market price is around laid, to 15Jd. There is nothing now to report in mohair. Tho market at this end continues quiot, ■ with merchants soiling very littlo. Alpaca is also somewhat quiet. Stocks aro steadily increasing at Liverpool, tho only sales this week beiiig about 75 bales of inferiors.