20 CANADA - CO-OPE RATIOX AND ASSOCIATION 



Grade 



Fine combing 



clothing 



medium combing, firsts. . 



clothing, " . . 



combing, seconds. 



clothing, " 



combing, firsts . 



clothing, 



combing, seconds. 



clothing 



Low " combing 



Coarse 



lyiistre 



Rejects • • • 



Gray and black 



Locks and pieces 



Tags 



Range 



Mohair 



Under the grading system the cost of handling the wool was conside- 

 rably higher, being practically one cent a pound, but this was to be expected 

 as it was necessary to unpack all the wool, grade each fleece and then re- 

 pack it. It is however quite evident that the price obtained by grading 

 more than compensates for the extra expense. 



Province of Manitoba. — ^lanitoba farmers have long since recog- 

 nized the value of the co-operative principle, and it is not surprising to 

 find the flockmasters adopting the co-operative grading system as a solu- 

 tion of their wool-marketing problem. 



Western wools are sold unwashed. When the buj^er estimates the value 

 per pound he estimates also the shrinkage, and then appraises the wool by 

 comparison with scoured wool of like qualitj^ in the eastern market. 



All sheep owners in the province were suppHed early in April 1916 with 

 a circular setting forth in detail the conditions of the wool marketing 

 scheme. As in Saskatchewan all wool was ordered to be despatched to the 

 Department of Agriculture in June, but this year June was so wet that much 

 of it was not sent until the middle of July. The directions for packing 

 were identical with those issued in Saskatchewan. Freight was prepaid 

 in the majority of cases. 



The Dominion Department of Agriculture siipplied an expert to do the 

 grading, a record of which was kept on especial forms known as Domestic 

 Wool Grading Sheets. When the wool reached the warehouse it w.is 

 weighed in the presence of the official grader and a representative of the 

 Provincial Department of Agriculture. The consigner was then notified 

 and an advance payment of 20 cents a pound made, the balance being paid 



