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Hokitika Guardian, 26 August 1932, Page 4

Much of tlie work of the Woof. Industries Research Association, in Leeds, is Pow .beiariiig fruit, according to the report for the year \ ended May, 1932, of the Empire Markciting/ Board, which made. a grant to the- association.. During the year work lias been published dealing with the relationship between fibre length' and fibre thickness in various;! Wools, an4 i/,with* jiqbferyationp, .on the apparent fineness Ond freedom from kemp .of natural ly-cojr mred Wools, Further contributions he*’© been blade ou colour inheritance it) sheep, Work is, .also proceeding on j the study of the normal production < f hair and wool and the various, factors, 'which affect .its growth. A report has been publi lied embodying the. results of the Empire tour ../by’ Dr J. E. Nicols. A series of,, wool-s, collected during the tour is j being examined, and ,an attempt is being Jfctfd© to study the growth of wool under different conditions, including rthe effects of environment. On .the biochemical side work on the distribution of sulphur in different parts of tlie fleece, and on the chemical composition of wool keratin is in progress. The distribution of grease and sand in the staple also. is receiving attention. Operations on international' standardisation of the fineness of wool tops and their relation to wool quality have been completed. An investigation is now proceeding on the determination of the resilience of wool, the felting power of wool, and the spinning properties in relation 'to quality of a complete range of Australian and New Zealand wools. Apart from this laboratory work under the c.jispices «f the Empire Marketing Board, a hook on “Wool Quality” ha 3 been written and published during ■ the year. This book is intended to be an .incentive to, and a basi© for, research woijk throughout the Empire. It embodies a study of the history of fibre measurement, and incorporates the latest results of research throughout the world. Further progress ha 5 been made in co-operation with various other bodies on the study of nutrition and wool .production. A Wool Fibre Committee of the Research Association has been inaugurated, under the- chairmanship of the president of tbje British Wool Federation. Representatives of the /Dominions, Hotr>“ wool iuterast 7 . and ail phases of th’ manufacturing industry are included. ,-'i'v?-''dy reports (have b°en furni'h'd bv this committee to Australia, New ZesVind, and South Africa., and to various colonics and nrotectoratps threw gb out the Empire. 1 Th°se repo-t 0 tn/'ce the .form of rict-fd laboratory’ examinations, practical mi ll tests. a”d r nns' , '-terc.d ooin’ons nf wool men ITI Brad fed and elsewhere. Tt is 'hoped j i her casing use will be made of this committee, 'which v ° direct. hnV bctweoo producer and manufacture-, where for the first, t : m.° common n r °’' ferns can be full r tw year a numbe- of ’.'‘''minion st“dento from Austra’ia, New Z-oWI and South Africa We e”'oved *ho nitalitv of the laboratories, and h»rs now returned to '.a r rv on the work in their respective Dominions.