YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2950, 9 December 1916, Page 12

YORKSHIRE LETTER

CRUTCHINGS AND THEIR USES

(.From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, October 12.

Tlie announcement that tho FOtv Zealand C!ovornineut_]ias decided to allow the exportation of crutchings to tho United States directs attention to a matter which is of interest both to the woollen and worsted trades of Great Britain, and as tho matter lias never been discussed in any paper, wo will say something to-day coucerning crutcliiugs. Every sheepman knows what they are,, and every woolman is aware that no ehecp grows an absolutely uniform fleece, for not only is there a marked difference in quality 'between the shoulder and the j britch, but also considerable difference iii tho condition of tho wool. We believe we are right in saying that crutcliiiigs aro only a modern innovation among colonial pastoralists. In tho old days sheep were never crutched, the discoloured part of tho britch, for that roally constitutes crutchings, being skirted off tho shorn fleece, and largely sold as discoloured pieccs. This is what actually obtains to-day among merinos, for where a man. owns from 3000 to 10,000 sheep, tlie operation of crutching is impossible. What are Crutchings? As already indicated, tho term crutchings is more or less a modern one in tlie sheep aud wool world, particularly the latter. Old woolmen never heard that term, tho stained part of the fleeces caused by urine and dung all being spoken of as stained pieces, but nowadays, particularly among New Zealand crossbred sheepmen, thoy arp always spoken of as crutchings. There are a few merino sheepmen who crutch their sheep, but they are by no means numerous on account of the impossibility of dealing extensively with a number of sheep on acoount of a lack of hands. But that is not so among the pastoralists of New Zealand. Of course there are men there carrying MOO to 10,000 sheop, but such holdings are the exceptions, conditions there very largely being a duplicate of what they are here in Great Britain. Crutchings is regarded as part of the life of tlie pastoralist, and crutching sales aro held regularly at the various selling centres throughout tho Dominion. The woolman, particularly he who is not conversant witli pastoral life in tho colonies, wants to knoyr why this ■is done.. Everybody knows that sheep carry a good deal of dirt in their hind quarters, and in summer time when they are very liable to bo "struck" with maggot fly, tlie fly always lays its eggs in the dirtiest part of tho fleeces, and therefore pastoralists gather their 6heep, and with a pair of hand shears every sheep • is cr.utched. This simply means the removal of tho dirtiest wool behind the sheep. It is not only a preventative of the maggot fly, but also increases the comfort of the aheep, and even that is a consideration. Maggot fly is a serious menace to the pastoralists of our colonies, and it merino sheep could be crutched in a similar manner it would save many a death. Of course the best preventive of sheep being struck with the maggot fly is dipping the animals in a sulphur arsenic bath, the powder dips on the market being 'by far the most' valuable not only for killing the maggot fly but. In arming the sheep against further attacks. Anyone can see that if a sheep is clean there will be less ground work for harbouring the eggs of the fly, and this is an important matter in maintaining tlie health of tho flock. As already indicated, regular crutching sales are held at the .shipping ports throughout New Zealand, these always taking place at intervals after the regular season's sales are over. We find no fault with the Government granting 'the privilege to American buyers to purchase crutchings, and therefore a few Mvords on their general uses will be acceptable.

Purposes to which Crutchings are Put. Generally when a farmer has crntched his slieop lie is prepared to eell the wool short, in the grease, or if a scouring establishment is within easy . distance, they are scoured and then sold. But these scouring establishments are few and far between, consequently the bulk of the crutchings are sold and bought locally. When a big piio has been got together by a produce merchant or local dealer, that individual sends the crutchings to a scourer, for very seldom indeed are crutchings sold in London in. the greasy state. We strongly • recommend all crutchings bein» scoured before being sent Home for sale or use. Of course crutchings. are bought mostly in the grease at such centres as Wellington, Napier, Christchurch, and Dunedin, there being scouring establishments at all these centres, if a buyer is wisely advised he will sort these crutchings, dirty as they may be, intrf qualities, for it pays well to do so. Tho reader will easily see that it is usaless mixing togctlier crutchings from good hallbred sheep and those from coarse crossbreds, because tho purposes to which these wools can bo put vary very considerably. We repeiit that it pays any man handling & fair weight of crutchings ,to 6ort them, and ho need only make two. qualities, say a fine and coarse, putting the medium crossbreds with the coarse ones, though if he had a sufficient quantity ho could as oasily mako three classes as two, dividing them into coarse, medium, and fine. Of courso if a merino sheepbreeder cares to crutch his sheep, then he will only have 0110 quality, and these can be sold as they are, or scoured, whichever way is the most convenient. , We have seen crutchings that ivcre a good coloiur, though never except when spccial care has been taken to sort-theni previous to scouiring. As a rulo tho bulk of tho crutchings are discoloured, being what some people call "brown ends. The staplo usually is by no means long, but if a short discoloured carded top is wanted, they aro combed, although the bulk of the wools aro only suitable for woollen manufacturing purposes. As a rule crutchings aro sound. They do very well indeed for tho production ot crossbred woollen tweeds; they can bo used in brown blankets, and aro a very useful commodity indeed in tho production of khaki cloths. Hence wo find that these wools are very largely bought to be worked up on tho woollen principlo, as separate and distinct from being sombed for worsted yarns. Of course, they can be combed, into a carded top, but that will depend entirely upou Uio length of tho staple and the condition, and charncter of tho wool. At tho same time tho bulk of the crutchings aro only suitable for woollen yams, hence they aro largely taken for this purpose by bcotch and Yorkshire manufacturers. Merino Crutchings, ' Wo have said very little about merino crutchings for tlve reason given, ihese aro mostly sold as discoloured or stained pieces, and here again if- they aro bulky enough they are combed into a discoloured top, though they do admirably for dyein" purposes for the woollen trade, and aro very largely bought by manufacturers. Because wool is ■ discoloured by the excrement of the sheep, it is seldom weakened in strength, and when scoured, dyed, and worked .up .into. a piece, no man can tell what it was originally. All that has to bo done is to get rid of as | much dirt as possible, for the remamin" fibi'O is a most usctul commodity, and is fetching very good values to-day. The writer well remembers the first wool lio bought at the London sales when but a lad of eighteen summers. I hey weie scoured Svdney stained pieces, for which I lm naid-10-Ul., a similar lot of. wool today boSgweli worth the ton side of 2s. ~ \b Tliov wore taken and dyed, and | nroduccd somo excellent woollen cloths, ; and what obtained twenty-five years ago j nbtiins still. These have always iound t output in tho trades np.nes, and

always will do us luiii; >'lu:cp grow wool, aiid cloth is made mi tlio woollen principle. Bradford Market Conditions. Jhoro tas beon a good attondanco on Chango this week, but no great development in tlio way .of actual business.. Values for tops aro generally firm, and a iair amount of soiling is still being dono in botanies and fino crossbrcds. A sale that lias been lield at Adelaide has directed attention to tlie raw material, and private cabled information appears to be somewhat in conflict with wliat is actually published, though'it appeal's to be possible Vo buy in Australia on a basis which is fak'ly reasonable compared with the prices current for tops in Bradford to-day. Even if the cost of the raw material is decidedly below what can be made here for the combed article, there are other factors to be taken into consideration, all of which will tend to keep up the price of tops. For one thing wool bought now will bo long before it reaches the combs, during which period there will be an accumulation of interest, ect., which will have to be added to the initial cost. There have been rumours of leading toprnakers' firms being disposed to accept concessions for forward business in merino qualities, but to-day nothing can bo bought in the market really cheap, a.nd the price of an average 64's is still maintained at 4s. 6d. per lb., with a penny more for a super top.