312 



THE FARMER'S RJAGAZINE. 



farmer supposing that; but such is not the case. 

 The best Cheviot laid is grown in Sutherhind, and 

 some beautiful half-bred wool in Caithness, whilst 

 the best Cheviot white is grown on the Cheviot 

 hills and district. Again, East- Lothian wool is, I 

 believe, j)referred to West-Lothian, Fife, and other 

 places. In this age of competition, and when wool 

 is so very high in price, it is the interest of those 

 who wish good prices to give this matter their con- 

 sideration. Wool is not "penny pies" now: prices 

 will vary considerably for the same description, as 

 it is the best wool that is wanted, and buyers prefer 

 paying at all times a good rattling price for a 

 superior article, to a shabby i)rice for a slovenly got 

 up one. A good lot, when bought, is half sold to 

 the consumer, but a had lot sticks long, and it is 

 up-hill work to quit it, and frequently spoils one 

 for a future transaction. I have been taken so 

 much at unawares that nothing else occurs to me at 

 present, but shall be glad to hear any member's 

 opinion on the subject. 



Mr. Dowell (of Dowells & Lyon) wool broker, 

 Edinburgh, having been introduced to the meeting 

 by the chairman, said — From the exceedingly 

 courteous invitation of Mr Harper to appear here, 1 

 considered it would have been most unbecoming if 

 I did not cheerfully respond to his wish by giving 

 a few remarks in extension of our circular, the 

 more particularly as it touches the most important 

 product of our island ; and in following this up, I 

 naight justly be accused of arrogance, if I did not 

 at the outset declare it was not from personal 

 practical experience that these remarks were foun- 

 ded on, but what is more valuable — from the 

 experiences of many who have enthusiastically de- 

 voted their energies in the furtherance of our native 

 manufactures. In conversing with practical men, 

 both producers and consumers, more particularly 

 the latter, one feels thoroughly convinced there is 

 still a vast field open for improvement in the getting 

 up of the wool ; and let it not be considered I am 

 running away with the harrows too fast, when I 

 assert that in wool there is as much room for im- 

 provement as there was in days not long gone by, 

 when guano and artificial manures were unknown 

 in agriculture; nevertheless, it must excite a pleas- 

 ing sensation in the breast of every well-wisher of 

 his country to observe the gradual, but marked 

 attention, which has of late years been bestowed on 

 rural affairs. To men of all ranks of society, 

 agriculture seems now to be the favourite study, 

 not only of the landed proprietor and practical 

 farmer, who are more immediately interested in its 

 improvements, but also of the philosopher or man 

 of science, who, instead of wasting his time and 

 talents in useless metaphysical disquisitions, now 

 devotes them to agricultural researches, which, re- 

 dound to the benefit, not of a few individuals only, 

 but to the community at large. When we consider 

 the wool of this country alone warms almost every 

 class of society, gives employment to thousands in 

 Its manufacture, and engages whole fleets in its 

 exportation, it should excite within every one of us 

 a lively interest in its progress ; and in a national 

 point of view, it must be gratifying to know that 

 the tartan and the tweed are eagerly competed for in 

 every clime : and it affords us no ordinary pleasure 



to notice that the managers of some of the largest 

 charitable educational institutions of our country 

 have at length seen the propriety of clothing their 

 youngsters with the becoming garb of Scotch 

 tweed. Little does a careless farmer know of the 

 trouble occasioned to a manufacturer from ill got 

 up wool; and if he would but for a moment reflect 

 on the vast amount of capital involved in machinery, 

 it should prompt him to he more careful ; and when 

 we read of, and daily hear of, hill farms increasing 

 in rent from 12 to 45 per cent., surely it is but 

 hopeful that every improvement should be attempted 

 to increase the value of the crop, whatever it 

 may be. This I humbly submit, can only Le done 

 by care in selecting the stock ; and as we are 

 particularly on wool, the careful washing is of the 

 highest importance to the manufacturer, inasmuch 

 as it yields more weight of yarn, enables him to 

 put a greater quantity through the carding process, 

 as it does not clog up the cards speedily. Its free- 

 ness not only makes it spin more sweetly, but 

 makes a better thread ; hence it is more valuable to 

 the manufacturer in many respects, and he well 

 knowing the qualifications of well washed wool, is 

 ever desirous of acquiring it even at a considerable 

 advance. Bright-haired wool is much desired and 

 eagerly sought after by the manufacturer, being far 

 more valuable to him than wool tinged with the 

 yellow hue; the production of a pare white wool 

 free from all tendency to clamminess is what wool- 

 growers cannot be too ambitious to attend to, and 

 the attainment of this object depends very much on 

 prompt attention being paid to early clipping after 

 the sheep has been thoroughly washed and dried. 

 Wet or unsettled weather may interfere with such 

 an arrangement ; but, generally speaking, the delay 

 is attributable to the idea that farmers entertain, 

 that they gain by weight when shearing is post- 

 poned. In this they are greatly mistaken, for they 

 sacrifice the beautiful white appearance of the fleece, '' 

 a quality which cannot be too highly estimated, 

 and which the manufacturer invariably keeps in 

 view in the advance of price. Considerable loss is 

 often experienced in the deterioration of wool, by 

 allowing a flock after washing to be turned into a 

 place where sand or moss rubs are prevalent ; 

 great care ought to be exercised in avoiding such, 

 and in procuring the best place till the clip is 

 finished. Of late years complaints have been on 

 the increase from the French buyers, who have 

 been large competitors, that kemp hair is far too 

 often found in flocks ; this should be particularly 

 studied, and every experiment adopted to devise 

 the means of eradication. Allow me now in a few 

 words to draw attention to the advantage of dispos- 

 ing of the wool by auction, and let it not be con- 

 sidered I am too one-sided in this opinion, but be- 

 lieve me it is from an honest conscientious convic- 

 tion that I am advising for the best : established 

 usage, old connections, and an indifference to 

 change, makes the task to prove the fact all the 

 more difficult ; but can the enlightened farmer of 

 the 19th century not see that when wool is collected 

 into a well-lighted store, placed in competition 

 with others of a worse or better sort, and when the 

 direct competition of some 40 or 50 bidders come 

 into play, each sort receives its just reward accord- 



