YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2838, 1 August 1916, Page 7

YORKSHIRE LETTER

ARE FINE CROSSBREDS TENDER? TRIUMPH, OF AUSTRALASIAN BREEDING {From Our Special Correspondents.) Bradford, May 28, 1916. Quito recently I heard the question asked by a member of the Bradford trade "Why, is the largest proportion of tender wo.il i:>uuJ in fine medum crossbreds?" The first answer that sprung up was, "It is not," for the -writer must admit having seen far were tender merino wool than teiidc.' crc.-sbi ed wools, but many a hundred bales, I should say many thousands, como to hand regularly overy year, of red, earthy, sandy, tender merino wool. The break in the staple can often be seen, both in this class of fibre and in much grown on other soil, when drought or ill-health has been troubling the flocks. It must not be thought that this paragraph is written to' assert that all merinos grown on the red soil of West Australia and the .dry, dusty stretches of South Australia, are tender, or that the wool grown on black soil, wool that as linic-h less impregnated with sand, as are the bulk of tho products of Victoria,- New South Wales, and Tasmania, is always strong and sound. It ' is not so, and everyone knows it, but though much "red" wool is well grown and perfectly sound, the proportion, of tender staple in it is admittedly considerably greater than that,in "white" wool. Quito naturally then,' I asked for evidence in support of the truth of the above question, and out of a heated argument several interesting facts wore elicited both concerning strength of staple and spinning capacity. , It is a somewhat dobatablo point as to where merinos and crossbreds begin. The 60's.quality lino is taken to divide tho two classes, but thero is. not the slightest doubt that much fine crossbred wool will spin better than a fair amount of tho love merinos that are grown. AVhy tho 60's quality staplo should bo taken as a standard nobody eeemß to know exactly. Suppose we say it was tho quality of wool grown by the old English merino shcop, how are wo to know that they did grow thut quality of wool ? Ono or two purebred flocks are said to re-' main, but they have been kept outside Spain, and environment must havo influenced the wool. Surely nobody will venture to assert that the years of breeding practised in Australia' have boon without effect, and that the sheep produce wool no different from that grown by their ancestors in Spain, in the 18th century. A continual process of development has been working out, and at the present day we can buy every quality of wool from 28's or even less to 100's, all showing splendid breed and character for their quality. On what foundation tho 60's spinning standard has been fixed to separate crossbred from merino wool is not at all clear, and to anyone acquainted with the Bradford trado it is more obscure than ever. In the Bradford trade there has always been a,.type quality in merino tops, which has served as an indication of the course of the wholo merino top market, and a. basis on wjiichi other top quotations could be made to fit with ono another. Some years ago this standard or indicator or type quality, whichever idea the reader prefers, was the 60's top. If a mau'spoke of merinos being at 2s. 2d., ho meant 60 s top were at that price. To-day the standard has changed. "Botany" tops at 3s. 6d. to-day means 64's aro at that price, and the 64's quality is the gauge or indicator of the merino top market. The surprising thing, is that an average-64's top of to-day does not spin better than a 60's of a dozen years ago, if as well. That is why, when spinning standards change, it is hard to SSjswvhero crossbreds begin and merinos oaf Wily the 64's has deteriorated iu T' ll "S capacity, I hope to explain fully inSatnothor article. For the. purposes of the argument on the strength ot staplo, ,it may be assumed that merinos are all wools of 60's quality and over. We must now consider where sprang crossbred wool. If we try to fix tho dividing line from this sido we shall be a^M , u S&!ife? t as cver - Tno reason is very simpliSiVJb.ere is not a breed-of sheep I m England that grows wool that will spin to more than 56's, and thero is very little that will spin even so far; The best Down wools—the finest England grows— are sorted into their, best qualities of 18 s, oO s, and 56's, but scarcely any top made from them will spin to 56's. When a topmaker sorts out tho very best shoulder pieces of the finest English Down, fleeces, and makes a top of them alone, ho wants an extra Id. a lb. for it, because of its increased spinning capacity, and evon that may not spin to 56 s. All tho rest of English wool; is of lower quality, so that it is very plaia that tho gap between 56's and 60's at least (it may be a considerably wider one) has been bridged by cross-breeding. In a sense, 56's and comebacks are "off sorts," and they have only been "made" during the last twenty-five years, or evon less. In tho Bradford trade a comeback top has not always been known by any means, and it is an invention of late years, it was not created, by Bradford topmakers, but by Australasian sheepbreeders, and is another example of the spirit of search and ■ enterprise which they aro always showing. It is unnecessary to state that the mixing of two different pure-breeds of sheep' has not produced, at the first attempt, noticeable strength, eitner of wool or constitution, in the offspring. Those who have been for years trying to evolvo a dual purposo sheep, ono that should be excellent alike for mutton and wool, have had a long struggle and much difficulty because of this fact. American, English, Lincoln, and tho real Australian merino grow very sound wool, but the first crosses of these sheep did not always do likewise. That reason was the chief one adduced, but tho person whose question commences this article, in support of the assertion that medium and fino crossbreds are not so strong, relatively, as other qualities. It seems very strange, that if theso sorts aro weak, they should be so much desired for officers' khaki. If tho questioner was right, the wholo trade is under a delusion, thinking, as it docs, that crossbreds will stand rncro knocking about than merinos, and are ideal for producing cloths that will give long, hard wear. Tho other faotors that go to decido whether wool shall be sound or tender must not be forgotten. If crossed sheep are not so strong in constitution, their wool is sure to be weak. Again, we must wonder how it is that slipc3 havo been in such great domand. Certainly the addition of lime cannot strengthen the wool; iu fact, its influence is to reduce the spinning power, and sometimes weaken tho staple. It does not need much consideration to see that somo years ago, wheu crossbreeding first began on a commercial 6cale, our friend would havo been correct "in hie surmise, but tho weakness of a crossbred sheep, both in itself and its [wool, is a difficulty which Australasian

breeders havo been up against'sinco they Btarte'J fheir work, and by overcoming this difficulty they have made new qualities and new styles of wool to fit the consupiing world's new demands, and have achieve? not the least of their triumphs thereby. Merinos High and Firm. The high prices that most merino topmakers are quoting are to some extent checking business, but, while spinners are placing'no large contract, they are buying email weights. .Naturally, at the present level, they do not wish to buy heavily, and if they can 6upply themselves b.v taking in old contracts they mean.to do so. Still many topmakers are talking glibly, of making is. 3d. for 64' a before very many weeks' are passed, and to-day wo do not think any weights of a good warp top could be bought under 45., several large makers asking Id. more, and being unwilling sellers. There are considerable weights of dry-combed tops on tho market, but fewer than last week, offered by export houses, who have been unable to get permission to ship', and the position is unusual in that these tops are worth very little more than similar qualities combed in oil. In crossbreds the principal demand is still on fine sorts, and these are being wanted both for hosiery and for substituting for merinos. Medium.and low sorts aro slow. Still, there is enough, inquiry to justify holders in not selling just at present, and it seems as if values of these, as of merinos, will remain firm for a long time to come. Army needs are sure to be the dominant factor in tho medium and low crossbred market for several months, and all wool in sight is likely to be wanted.