WOOL QUALITY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 19, 5 January 1912, Page 2

WOOL QUALITY.

PRESENCE OF GREY AND BLACK HAIRS.

AN INTERESTING LETTER

The local manager of the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., has received, through his London office, the following letter, issued by the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, which is most important to all sheep farmers : Numerous complaints having been made to tliis Chamber of the increasing prevalence of black and grey, hairs in all classes of wool, a joint meeting of the wool merchants’, spinners’, and manufacturers’ sections was convened for the purpose of finding out whether this difficulty was donfined to individuals or was general throughout the trade. A very largely attended meeting was the result, and every speaker on the subject had ' the same complaint to make, iHz., that black and grey hair's were prevalent more or less in every type of wool, both colonial and English. The Continental manu- : facturers have also strongly expressed their feelings to the same effect. It was pointed out by many speakers that these black and grey hairs are found in the staple and are chiefly due to the: of breeding from the Shropshire and Down i types of sheep, due no doubt to tlie ■ desire to improve the quality of the carcase, whilst some speakers pointed out that in many districts the presence of a black lamb or black sheep in the

flock was considered to bo lucky. These, black, hairs, are. comparatively few in number, and are so spread amongst the white ones as to render it impossible to take them out by sorting, and are therefore most deleterious for all hgt ~ the cheapest or darkest Rinds of cloth. , 1,1, 7.' As the,., trade in pure white goods has been developed to an enormous extent, and is one of tlie most important branches of the industry, the wool trade section of the Chamber strongly desire to impress upon all growers the importance of exercising such action as they may deem expedient to remedy these difficulties, and recommend:— > 1. That farmers should not breed from black or grey sheep. 2. That the greatest care should be taken in selecting rams from flocks as free from black hairs as possible. 3. That black and grey lambs be slaughtered. .It is sincerely hoped that the prominence which is now being given will have the desired effect, including amongst others that of, where possible, selecting, the breeding stock from such sheep as show the least tendency in this direction. We are, dear sirs, Yours faithfully, Jno. E. Fawcett, Chairman, Wool Trade Section. P. Anderson, Secretary.