SUGGESTIONS TO COLONIAL FLOCLMASTERS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 1007, 3 December 1881, Page 4

SUGGESTIONS TO COLONIAL FLOCLMASTERS.

The following valuable hints appear in a circular issued recently by Messrs Chas. Balme and Co., wool-brokers, London. In connection with the subject of ■washing, we may mention that the relative demand for wool washed on the sheep’s back, as compared with that in unwashed condition, was for many years such as to give a decided advantage to shippers of washed fleeces, and, indeed, this is still the case as regards superfine flocks. More recently, however, a great development of the Continental demand, which runs chiefly upon unwashed clips, and the increased -use by home consumers of similarly -conditioned produce, have narrowed ■ considerably the margin formerly existing in favor of the bulk of fleecewashed staple ; and though the comparative results in absolutely clean wool would probably still show a rather higher cost to the purchaser of w ashed fleeces, the difference —excepting always flocks of the highest breed and character —is not more than, if as much as, would compensate a flockmaster for the cost of the process. A better and more profitable yarn can, for most purposes, be spun from w r ool shipped in greasy condition, but the merits of clips of the highest rank are more easily distinguishable when washed, and for all purposes, moreover in which color is an element sought by the manufacturer, the advantage of ■ washing is of still greater moment —it being found in practice that wools stored in grease for any considerable length of time become to a certain extent stained, and consequently do not take so bright or delicate a dye when washed.

It will be readily understood that it will be found desirable to market in the grease all classes of defective and faulty wool, which gain a certain advantage from the fact of their defects being less recognisable or conspicious when unwashed, and, in any case, all flocks grown under circumstances in which the requisite facilities for washing well or thoroughly on the sheep’s back do not exist. The progress of scouring, with very few exceptions, offers no advantage whatever as far as the salability of the wool is concerned. An impression appears to prevail among many growers that additional relative value attaches to wool in this condition, and it cannot be too clearly pointed out that, so far from this being the case, the truth as a rule lies in the contrary direction. Ist. The scouring is not so thoroughly performed as to enable the manufacturer to dispense with a repetition of the process. 2nd. It is exposed to the suspicion of admixture with skin wool. 3rd. If combing wool, it is frequently so tangled as to injure its -value, or its employment for that purrpose. 4th. It is not found in practice to work so favourably in manufacture as when once scoured immediately before use. It is clear that, except in those instances in which the weight of the wool is exceptionally excessive and the cost of transport unusually high, there is no advantage in selecting this condition. As regards packing, the old-fashioned method of baling wool sideways in the large unwieldly packs which are still in use in many parts of New South Wales and Queensland is unquestionably a mistake. The side packing presents the fleeces as it were “against the grain ” when the bales are opened for examination in the warehouse, and in this way shows the produce to far less advantage, besides rendering it far more difficult of inspection. The bales should be packed from the top, in the short, small, compact, square-shaped packages commonly used in Victoria and the Riverine districts, and tightly screw-pressed on the station. In this way the bales are less liable to the damage incidental to manipulation during transit from the Colony so frequently noticeable in the larger packages, the tares of which will seldom bear the strain imposed on them ; they stand the ordeal of dumping with less prejudice, and appear in this market in a generally more saleable and merchantable condition. The fleeces should be folded, not tied with string, a practice which exposes the manufacturers to much trouble and expense in extraction, and to loss bydamage to the machinery, if any portion remain unseparated. Dumping does not involve any actual injury to the fibre of the wool, nor does it detract in any way from its market value, except when the pressure employed is so great as to cake and harden the staple to such an extent as to give it a sodden appearance and to prevent its being easily inspected and sampled when exposed for sale. The practice of dumping when so applied as to cause the bursting of the bales is, of course, prejudicial to the merchantable appearance of the produce. It should further be borne in mind that dumped wool does not gain in weight during transit from the Colony to the same extent as the unpressed staple. The necessary conditions of proper classification are, to secure in each bale wool of uniform description from end to end, the distinguishing characteristics being those of quality, staple, and condition, and to mark any very decided variations between different portions of the clip either by numbers

or letters. Care should be had, however, to make these subdivisions as tew as possible. To multiply classes unnecessarily and fancifully, unfortunately, is a practice which has grow n of late prodigiously with prqfessiona colonial 'classers, probably in entire ignorance of the fact that where sue i classification is rigidly adhered to by the London brokers the flocks are unavoidably placed on the market in lots of much smaller dimensions than is desirable, and in such a manner as to obviate all the advantage of concentration of competition, and thus very seriously to qualify the essential conditions of a satisfactory realisation. Particular descriptions of staple, snc.i as fine clothing wools, the superfine flocks of Victoria and New South Wales, or crossbred clips embracing a considerable range of grades, demand much closer and more minute attention to the distinctions of quality, staple, condition, &c., than others ; but among the general run of combing clips m unwashed condition which reach this market, it commonly happens that compliance with the prevailing features of demand, and the requirements of consumers is sacrificed to an indulgence of theoretical nicety and superfluous accuracy of assortment. Restrictions imposed upon lotting, as a rule, are unwise. If the classification be thorough, the sample at once proclaims the character of the bale, and the knowledge possessed by the broker of the peculiarity and requirements of demand must necessarily make him the best judge of placing the produce to most advantage on the market.