IMPORTANT TO WOOLGROWERS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume 1, Issue 13, 28 December 1872, Page 2 (Supplement)

IMPORTANT TO WOOLGROWERS.

o (From the Wanganui Chronicle.) We publish below a most useful circular, in which will be found some valuable information with respect to sorting and packing wool for the English market. We have seen a letter from a London broker, in which the writer states that reduced prices had to be accepted for whole clips, because some bales were found to contain fleeces, pieces, locks, and even skins! We do not think the latter were put in with any fraudulent intent, but it is evidence of gross carelessness, and calculated to excite suspicion in the minds of home buyers. Complaints have also been made of flock-owners packing washed and greasy wools in the same bale. In spite of all these drawbacks, first-class prices were in every case obtained for last season’s clip, and the market closed firm. It is therefore a matter of vital importance to wool-growers in this district, and throughout New Zealand generally, that they take as much pains as possible to send their wool home in the best possible condition and properly classed. To do this, attention to the’instructions in the following circular is all that is required:— “ 58, Coleman-street. London, “ July 16, 1872. a “ The irregular packing of New Zealand wools is a feature that has been constantly commented on in our circulars and otherwise, and the recent season s clip shows considerable increased tendency to the production of cross-bred and pure English wools by New Zealand flock masters, but at the same time the classification of the fleeces for packing seems to be very insufficiently attended to, although rendered more requisite if cross-breeding is carried on. It is unnecessary for us to mention that the produce of merino ewes, tupped by one particular English-bred ram, will'show •a variety of wools, so great as that al-

most every stage of quality and character will be produced between the two extremes of the parent sheep; so arises the necessity for some little attention in classification for packing, which we think the following suggestions, if followed up, would accomplish. They will apply equally to either washed or greasy clips. First, let character be the consideration, and afterwards, condition. Character means, of course, length and quality, and condition, the waste from yolk of earth, burrs, seeds, motes, or other defects from sickliness or otherwise (it is as well to keep the hoggets, ewes, weathers, and rams, packed distinctly, and separately). If the flock is small, or from any other cause a bale is part of one and part of another sort, let it be marked with a line outside where the division is ; the description of every bale should be written on the outside, as well as carefully noted in shipping invoice. We may here mention what we have frequently recommended in various ways before, that the bales should be marked on one or both the ends, not on the sides. Now as to classification by character: any short or stumpy-grown fleeces should be thrown out, and in cross-bred flocks we consider that about four classes should be made: “1. The fleeces showing the most of the English strain that there is in the flock. “ 2. Those where the English strain prevails over the Merino. “3. Those in which the Merino prevails over the English, “4. The more or less pure Merino fleeces. “In Merino flocks, (as before said, keeping Hoggets, Wethers, Ewes, and Bams separate), the shorter fleeces should be thrown out, the great point being to keep the lengthy well-grown fleeces unmixed with those of shorter and more stumpy growth and character, and first and second qualities may be made, but well-made distinction and useful and correct selection in this respect, i. e., as to quality in a pure Merino flock, is difficult, and if not done well it is better not attempted at all. “As to skirting, it is a matter that care should be taken about; we consider that 10 bales in every 100 of washed clips is quite a sufficient proportion ; we frequently find a good deal of the fleeces is taken off and made skirts or pieces of unnecessarily. In greasy clips a much less proportion of skirting is requisite. “ Then, as to condition, don’t pack without any discrimination the bad, wastey or inferior-conditioned with the better-washed (if washed at all), less wastey,and less cleaner fleeces. Two divisions, that is, the cleaner from the dirtier, as to condition, we consider sufficient. “ Bv the general plan or system of classification thus put forward, we do not mean to advocate minute divisions of parcels, but one consideration bearing upon another, as here suggested, will result in putting the whole of a clip into a regular form ; we do not mean to say that each particular separate distinction (pointed out by the classer) which would arise out of the system we advise would require separate lotting for sale —as to this point, unless specially ordered to the contrary, we use our own discretion. We Jiave endeavored to sketch out the various cardinal points of consideration, and these being borne in mind, the result will be the orderly and marketable arrangement of the clip. “ Bearing these foregoing directions in mind we scarcely think it needs a professed wool sorter to put up a flock in bales in a presentably classified way, though some technical knowledge of the subject is of course very useful. A flock-master himself could, we should think, and certainly ought to try, so to superintend his men at this work as to have it effectually carried out. “ Commending these remarks, which we have endeavoured to put concisely, to the use and benefits of the woolgrowing interests, —We are, M Your very obedient servants, “ J. T. Simes & Co., “ Wool Brokers.”