WOOL-GROWING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3123, 25 February 1909, Page 3

WOOL-GROWING.

THE NEED OF CLASSIFICATION, j It is certainly an indisputable fact I that the outcry raised at Home during ' the last year or two regarding the imperfect classification of colonial wool had a very stimulating and healthy effect on the grading of New Zealand's staple product. The comparatively few complaints now received regarding wool-grading is the best indication that our 'wool is receiving better attention at the | hands of growers, and thtt attempts are being made to m .rket it according to modern grading conditions. It is rather interesting, in fact, almost amusing, to note an article written in a recent issue of "The limes Weekly" on this subject, carrying with it, as it does, an indirect and decided compliment to the method of New Zealand's classification of their | woo!. The journal in question, has just discovered in looking round, that their own country's wool is graded most disgracefully, and by way of comparison they quote the care and intelligence" used by colonial growers i in grading their produce. The article goes on to state;—" For some years back wool buyers have been endeavouring to impress upen flockmasters the importance of classifyine their wool into different grades with sufficient exactitude to justify the acceptance of the producers' description of its quality. The cond.t'ons of the wool trade have altered so vastly, in consequence not only of the enormous supplies produced in Australia, New Zealand, and other distant pastoral countries, but also by reason of the care and intelligence with which Colonial and foreign growers grade their produce, that the British sheep farmer must adopt similar methods in the preparation of his produce if he is to retain the custom of the best buyers. While they were mainly dependant upon home-grown wool, buyers recognize that they might appeal in vain for greater attention to the grading of the material; matters have not changed sufficiently to enable them to bring pressure to bear with effect. Except for certain purposes they can procure their requirements from Colonial or foreign sources, and they warn the farmers of this country that, if they persist in disregarding the reasonable requests for proper care in assorting the produce, they will buy it only at the lower rates obtaining for second or inferior gardes. "The question was again discus sed at the recent meeting of the Home Wool Buyers' Association, and although it was admitted that there had been slight improvement, the state of affairs still left much to be desired. A few of the mo e enlightened and reasoning farmers compliedwith the conditions suggested by the association, but vast quantities were still despatched from the farm without any regard to its condition with respect to the presence of vegetable matter. There is no excuse for this negligence, nor, if l.e would only give t ,tbe matter a moment's consideration, is the farmer likely to benefit by the increased weight and bulk gained by the inclusion of objectionable material. He may succeed in obscuring the faulty portions of a fleece from the sharp eye of a buyer, bit his benefit will be obtained at the sacrifice of his reputation, and in future the produce of his flock will be relegated to the categoiy of suspected conj signments. V 00l buyers are prepared to give current rates for wool that has been properly graded, and the farmer will succeed to the best advantage who earns the confidence of his customers by exercising care i,-) rem-jving from each fleece at shearing time filthy or imperfect portions, and in other respects taking all possible precautions to keep the wool free from the presence of hay, straw, and othir vegetable matter whhh is so serious a blemish to its manufacturing value. Even at the present time, when wool is low it price, it will pay to accede to the reasonable demands of the buyers, for, as generally happens in a depressed marke f , the inferior sorts suffer relatively more than those of better quality. There is another point bearing on the maiketing'of wool which affects the interest of the farmer rather than that of the buyer. The farmer, apart from the manner of preparing his wool, does not always make the mos of his opportunities. An instructive illustration of the defectalluded to came under notice some little time ago. It had been the custom of the flock-owners in a certain pastoral district to dispose of their wool at the local sales and to accept whatever price could be obtained there. They would sometimes hold their supplies in anticipation of a rise in value, but variation in their j course of procedure was restiicted to the time of the sale. The idea of consigning their produce to other centres never occured t} them until a newcomer to the neighbourhood, dissatisfied with the local prices, resolved to £send his Vvcol.to an important sale in a neighbourirg county. His action brought a liberal reward, and the result of his enterprise has been that by degrees his neighbours are following his example, wiih marked benefit to themselves"-