THE BLACK SHEEP.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10518, 5 January 1912, Page 4

THE BLACK SHEEP.

The old belief that the presence: of a black sheep in a Hook is lucky seems likely to be .seriously disco-waged hy the prote-st made by the Wool! Trade ■Section 'of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, -against the increasing prevalence ci ; Mack and grey hai-s i in all' classes of coloniali and English ' wool'. Complaints have been address"ed/:to .the Oiamber by wooJ merefc ants, .spinners-, and ■ maawifaptjirers,'. wh|o have pointed! out that the pres»•ence of these coloured) hairs in the. wool is "chiefly owing to the practice of breeding from the Shropshire and Down types of sheep, due, no doubt, to the desire to improve the quality of the~'ea>rcase." These black hairs, which are said to be comparatively few in, numiber, "are so spread among the white'ones, as to it impossible to take them out hy sorting., aud ,are therefore most dele- , terious for a*Ji butt the cheapest or darkest kinds of cloths." Owing to i the extent aaid vaikie cf the trade in pure white goodk, which is now said, to be one of the most important branches of the industry, this i» a matter of considerable moment, to which woolgrowers will no doubt pay ■ due attention. Before long, the say- [ ing that "There is a hlaok sheep in ( every flock" -will have lost its meani ing, so far as pastoralilsts are cernedi. As- the Omstchiurch "Press" remarks!, however, other kinds -of "black sheep" are, unfortunately, ! less easy to get rid of.