THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1903. THE SHALL FARMER AND HIS WOOL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9084, 8 May 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1903. THE SHALL FARMER AND HIS WOOL.

The complaints so frequently made by English buyers and manufacturers respecting the faulty classing and sorting of wool in the dominion are beginning to attract the serious attention of our sheep-farmers, and efforts are now being made in various parts of the country to remove the causes of complaint. Recently we suggested as a means to this end, so far as the Wairarapa is concerned, that the Masterton Agricultural and r/astoral Association should include in its show programme an exhibition of wool classing and sorting/ but there is, of course, much more to bo done educationally than the giving of an annual display of expert work in

classing:, packing, etc. can adequately cover. Much may be done through the medium of technical schools, and we perceive that the Feilding Technical School has instituted classes for instruction in the classification in wool. But even exhibitions at agricultural chows and instruction in technical schools, valuable as they undoubtedly would prove, are not sufficed to quite "fill the bill," unless coupled with practical work. A few days' practical experience in a wellconducted shearing-shed would be of more real value than either or both the other educational media, for in the shed the whole ioutine from shearing to packing and pressing would come under the eye of the learner. In the treatment of wool care must be exercised in every detail, from the throwing of the fleece upon the table to skirting, rolling and pressing. Where the agricultural societies could lend assistance would be in having exhibits of specimens of wool graded into its various counts indicating what quality of "tops" could be made from each variety. If applied to, London woolbrokers would no doubt willingly supply such specimens. Bins of sorted fleeces might also be exhibited as object lessons, showing into what grades Lincoln, Romney, Leicester and crossbreds could be classed. As merinos, so far as this district is concerned, are out of date there is no need to take their wool into account.

The flocks of the srrall farmers principally longwools or their crosses —are frequently so intermixed that the veriest mongrels are produced, and various kinds of wool grown. It is not essential to the small farmer that his clip of a few bales should be too critically classed, for this would divide it up into ridiculously small parcels, and these do not find favour with buyers. The London brokers have repeatedly commented, in valuation reports and circulars, on the disadvantage of over-classifying. There is now before us a memo, from Messrs Jacomb and Sons, sent to a station owner, on the grading ->f some 300 bales of wool. It is as fclloWa:_"The classification is most careful, almost too careful, as leading up to too many A farmer, say, with 500 ordinary Lincoln sheep could, if he chose and had the knowledge, cut the clip into several grades ranging from 32's and 34's to 40's, so that there would only be three or four bale 3 of each class—'star lots' as they are termed in the trade, and which are always discarded till the end of the sales when competition is slack — whereas if the clip was only divided into, say, two sorts or even sent as one lot—if properly skirted, rolled and packed, and all dirt and vegetable matter removed —the net return would be greater to the farmer. The science of sheep husbandry in the Commonwealth of Australia, so far* as merino sheep and wool is concerned, has reached the highest standard, but the same cannot be said with respect to many of the small flocks of longwools and crossLreds in the dominion. • The fat lamb trade has done much to destroy the regularity of the types among even the larger flocks, ewes of any and every class being bred from, and also all sorts of experiments tried, resulting only in the p-oduction of mongrels. If the small farmers will only devote their attention and energies to breeding sheep of an even type and character, they need not trouble very much about technical schools and classing; for if their flocks are bred on such a system it follows that the wool they grow will to all intents and purposes be of one grade. This is the crux of the whole question. There are 1 flocks in the district that are so evenly bred that the wool they produce would all go into one sale lot. Our Agricultural and Pastoral' Association gives prizes for the best-managed farms, for stacks, and othar.things pertaining to agriculture. Wculd it not be moving in the right direction if it instituted competitions among the small farmers who could show the most even and best types of sheep, their own breeding, suitable to the land they were depastured upon? The adoption of such a plan would cause emulation ammig breeders, and be of great educational value. The association might alto adopt the /suggestion to hold a wool-classing and packing exhibition for educative purposes.