SOUTH AFRICAN WOOL AND MOHAIR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 98, 20 January 1920, Page 10

SOUTH AFRICAN WOOL AND MOHAIR

Wool nnd mohair represent tho great twin industries of sheep nnd goats in the Union lof South Africa. Tho sheep of the TJfuon aro varied in type and more varied in quality, with the fine-woollcd merino leading. The export of wool in 1910 was valued at J10.G01.37G. equalling 10 per cent, of the total exports of the Union. But, in addition to the merino there is the Afrikander and the- Persian, also the so-called woolled Persian and the Karakul. These are all fat-tailed varieties of very hardy habit nnd are farmed mostly for mutton in those districts where merinos'do'not pay. In addition to those, there n?e the later importations of several English varieties which hare been introduced with the object of working up ft trade in export mutton. This means n gradual turn over in the direction of crossbred fleeces mud heavy carcasses, as ngninst the present nimig condition of fine fleeces and comparatively light carcasses. As against this movement there is the evor-growing tendency of tho leading stud-breeders towards the importalion of the best blood obtainable in the shape of merino rams. As n, matter of fact, South Africa is becoming the recognised market for the best classes of this stock in Australia. The Angora industry has made such strides of recent years nnd the wastage of the war has played nuch havoc with the Angora zone in Asia Minor that it looks as tliougli this industry will become more firmly established in this country in the immediate future. At present it is worth over ft million sterling (.£1,152,281) per annum for its mohair alone. In addition to this has to be calculated the value of tho mutton which' it annuallv contributes to the meatsupplies of South Africa. A potontial source of further wealth in this connection is the. probability of building up an export trade in stud 6tock lator on.