The Daily Telegraph MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3591, 15 January 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1883.

Our Cape exchanges give a miserable account of the gradual falling off in the quality and quantity of the wool produce of the South African colony. For years past, and especially during the last four or five years, the quantity of sheep's wool produced iv the Cape colony has declined, while the qilalitv lias deteriorated very appreciably. In the Free State, however, there has been increased production. The Port Elizabeth Telegraph affii-ms that this two-fold declension and evil to be the fault or rather default of the fanners. Tho markets have > not been so favourable as could have been desired, but the ordinary fall in the price ( of wools docs not entirely account for the ; low ranges reached by colonial staples. This - is a faotwell known'to shippers, and the j farmers may not plead ignorance thereof. . They themselves have been the principal ] factors in producing this lamentable result. , The breeding of sheep has been conducted . on the worst possible system or want of system. Very few importations of fresh blood have taken place during recent years ; i nor have the farmers exercised their former ! care in the selection of breeding sheep. The 1 best of the flocks have but too frequently 1 been sold to the butcher, and tho worst pre- 1 served for producing an inferior breed, to ' be again deteriorated in like manner ad i infinitum. There was a time when the Cape 1 colony was proud of its position as a wool- i producing country, but that time has long i since passed away. In those days the lead- ] ing fiockmasters vied with each other who i should own the choicest flock, and who c should exhibit the finest fleece. All this is t now changed, and the colony suffers accord- t ingly. Only recently, in reply to a direct t question on the point, one of the largest a shippers stated that tho quality of Cape c wools was still deteriorating seriously. Ex- c pcrience has shown that excellent merino r wools can; be grown in the Cape colony, i: But while the merchants have brought 'J wool-washing and cleansing' to a high n standard of excellence, the fiockmasters have v neglected every means of maintaining tho d

quality of their flocks with the results indicated. To remedy the evil it was suggested that a public department of agriculture should be created, with a responsible Minister at its head. Such a department would charge itself with the consideration of the means best calculatedio improve the staple product of the colony. It would also busy itself very largely in endeavors to improve and quicken the various agricultural, pastoral, and mineral industries of the colony, and generally in advancing the productive wealth of the land. South Africa is very rich iv natural resources. Nature has done much for its people—it is the latter wdio have fallen far behind their opportunities. There are immense tracts of rich fertile soil, where, by the least exjiensive of irrigation works, the produce raised could bo doubled and perils trebled. The farmers who have listened to and arc mindful to follow their newly-found leaders would do well to ask them to advise them how best to promote their common interest in the matter of increasing the productiveness of the soil and the improvement and more rapid increase of their flocks and herds. He is indeed the fanner's truest friend who can point out to him and exemplify how to make two blades of grass grow where previously only one grew. Precept is all very well as far as it goes, but it too often stops short of what we cannot better define than as unfulfilled duty. Precept and example should go hand in hand if the leaders of the farmers would reap the reward they aim at, and, we hope, really seek after. Neglect of their flocks, and six to seven months' clips, havo been the primary causes of the falling off in the number and condition of their flocks. Unlike the lung-sickness these evils were of their own devising and the whole Cape colony suffers by reason of their action and neglect.