YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 254, 15 July 1918, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

IRISH WOOLS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

(From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, May !). . In the wool textile industry there does not appear to l>c anything of an outstanding character to note, proceedings being reduced very largely to-a jog-trot pace. One bus only to think of general conditions. Everything is kept as secretive as possible now that Government control dominates everything, and while it is true that the Bradford Exchange is open daily, mid tho attendance continues to be fairly good both on, Mondays and Thursdnys-rmarket davs—still the question always nskod is, what is. there new? Everything now has been reduced to a mechanical performance, whereas in tho old (lays with free buying and selling London and colonial wool sales, thero was alwaye something to sneak and write about. Of course war conditions have imposed upon the 'entire trade different proceedings, and one has only to remember that tho third. English new clip is about to be marketed under Stale control to realise how impotent tho trade really is. Fixing Irish Wool Prices, A meeting of tho Irish Wool Advisory Committee was held at tho War Department Wool Purchase Office, Dublin, last Saturday. Ajt this meeting representatives of both tho trade and growers, along with the Controller of Wool Supplies, had a conference. Of course growers objected to. the paltry increase in the new prices, but it was explained that if tho 1918 prices were compared with the" ten-year pre-war average of prices realised in' Ireland tho basis was substantially above 60 per cent. The question wa3 not one affecting the British clip only, •the British and Irish clips wero hut oncflixth of tho total War Office wool purchase, and regard must bo had to the moderate prices patriotically accepted by colonial growers. There is no doubt that Australasian woolgrowers have played a noble part in foregoing their rightful claims upon the last two clips, and every, thing points to their being called upon ito hand over tho next two clips at least in like manner. We will' leave the question of prices for future consideration, although the writer'ventures the opinion that a little more will have to be paid | for the next season's clip. We think today the subiect of Irish wools will t'nim the basis of an intelligent article'; seeing that thev have been directly considered during the past week. Irish Sheep. v Whatever else can be said about Irelaud, it produces, some very good wool, tho writer venturing, to say that its clip is much better known to tho outside manufacturing would than its breed of sheep. All tho wools of Ireland, ut least tho milk of thein, aro generally classed in the wool world as demi-lustres, though to the practical man that is not correct, first of nil, consider the sheep ivhich are ' being pastured, because that determines the .class of fleeces grown. Tho principal puro breed, in Ireland is the Eoscoinmon, a sound, fairly big up-standing sheep, producing a class of raw material ivhich has doue more to make Irish wools popular than nny other breed. A few pur* Shropshire Down sheep are also bred, but tho bulk consist of crossbred breeds, while in the north of Ireland a fair number of Scotch black-faced are also pastured. Wo should say that apart from the Roscommon and the Down, the bulk nro all crossbreeds. Irish sheep, fanners as a rule are not so particular lis either English or Scotch sheepmen to keep their breeds pure. Jt would be most interesting to know the number of farmers responsible for pnslarising 3,76:1,705 sheep, the liuniber at the last census, but one has only to take a motor ride through any county to seo the multitude of small farmers there are who are keeping anywhere from live to 50 sheep. Of course, among the bet-ter-class farmers real pride is taken in the flock, and every effort is made to maintain a good class of sheep. The following shows the different counties and the character of,,t'ne wool being produced, wbjoh'will givo'readers a very good idea of the class and breeds of sheep which are being pastured. The particulars'can be relied upon for accuracy:— ;> Sligo, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Kings Coi'mtv, Kildare, and Cork: Pure Shrop. and Downs, fine bred wool, including cross Shrop., Border Lester and Lincoln, Cheviots and Seaside, crossbred (Scotch or Mountain), pasture Scotch, blackfared Scotch (including lamb), f red lamb. Dublin, Meath, Louth, West Meatli, Cavan, Longford, Eoscomuion, Leitrim, and Galway—Pure' Shrop. and Downs, line bred wool (including cross Shrop.), Border Lester and Lincoln, Cheviots (North Dublin and Meatli), Seaside, while crossbred Scotch, pasture Scotch, block-faced. Scotch (including lamb). Queen's County, Tipporn'ry, WaterEord, Kilkenny, Carlovr, and Wexford: Pure Shrop. aud.Downs, fine bred wool (including cross Shrop.), Border Lester and Lincoln. Cheviots and Se.iside, wV.ite Lowland crossbred, black-fnced, Scotch and coarse Mountain (including lamb). County Wicklow: Fine bred wool (including cross Shrop.), Hovder Lester and Lincoln, Cheviot and Seaside, crossbred Scotch and Mountain, lamb wool (Seaside and Cheviot), black-faced, Scotch (in- , eluding lamb). ' Kerry wool: Pine, medium, coarse, bred broken, wool. Characteristics of Irish Wool. The above particulars which are of real interest and.educational value will show at once the class of raw material which .is being produced. Where tho term "fine-bred wool" is used it means wool from the Roscommon, and it is -this wool ivhich has given Ireland its present standing in the wool world.' The question is well worth raising, What are the outstanding features of Irish wool? hi pre-war days Irish wools went largely to America, they were very extensively exported also to tho Continent, though, of course, file biggest portion was consumed in Bradford and district. Irish demii lustre wools are essentially hosiery wools, • and be it said to the credit of Irish : sheep-farmers they wash their sheep and i get up their wool even better than English sheep-farmers.;. Certain districts ■ grow liner clips than others, and there i are no better hosiery wools grown in Great Britain than in Ireland. Buyers know that Kenls or Homney .Marsh are - the next best to Irish, ns the former nlways shrink two or three per cent. i more',, while a (cully good pick and super V'sh hog ur wellier lleec'e growipon Hid Hoscommon sheep takes a good deal of beating. The Irish Downs cannot be compared with English Downs except, in very ra're instances, though'in.some cases ' very good fleeces are grown. The deep " lustre wools set forth in the above table ■ are not .numerous, but what is known '' ns Irish.Scotch is more generally grown. ' Certainly these wools are rough, kempy, ' and .coarse, rather below the standard ' of good, well-bred Scotch produced in 1 Scotland and the.north of England. ' Still, Irish wools have always found a 1 good 'market, and anything at all of a 1 liner character is sought for and con- ' sinned with avidity.