Report of the Department of Agriculture. 495 



such organization more eft'ective means could be applied by farmers 

 for tlieir own protection and for elimination of dishonesty than by 

 Act of Parliament. 



A serious statement has been made by an English firm that the 

 qualHy of South African mohair has been steadily deteriorating. In 

 order to test this statement, steps have been taken to submit a collec- 

 tion of the best mohair of the various types for transmission to the 

 Trade Commissioner for purposes of comparison with Turkish mohair. 



During the last Session of Parliament the law prohibiting the 

 export of iVngora goats was repealed. The prohibition was imposed 

 seventeen years ago in the belief that the interests of South Africa 

 were best served by preventing competition from other countries 

 except Turkey which also had prohibited export of goats. It was 

 believed, moreover, that South Africa had goats superior to any in 

 the possession of the Turks, and that South African mohair could 

 outstrip the Turkish article in quality. Mohair breeders have latterly 

 come to the conclusion that restricted production, which could supply 

 only a minimum number of mills, not only facilitated combination 

 against producers, but prevented the establishment of the mohair 

 industry in other large centres of population. The United States 

 of America, for example, is also a producer of mohair, but to a very 

 limited extent and of inferior quality. The encouragement of produc- 

 -fion in that country, it is believed, would create interests which 

 ■would lead to a more extensive use of and a greater competition for 

 mohair. A memorandum prepared by the Department of Overseas 

 Trade of the United Kingdom shows that, owing to disturbances in 

 tho Ottoman Empire and particularly the slaughter of a large number 

 of goats by belligerents in Anatolia, the supply of Turkish mohair 

 has been much reduced, the present supply of Anatolian mohair 

 having been brought down to one-third of its extent. 



A scholarship was granted for the study of the requirements of 

 the English mohair market and for a course of study at the Technical 

 Textile College, Bradford. 



26. Ea'povt of Frieslands. — At the instance of the South African 

 Urieslaud Breeders' Association, assisted by the British Friesian 

 Society and by negotiations between the Governments of the Union 

 and the United Kingdom (o overcome certain restrictions on the 

 importation oC cattle into the latter country, ihe first exportation of 

 XX shipment of pedigree cattle for sale in Europe took place in March. 

 The sale by public auction was held in June, with highly satisfactory 

 results to the sellers. The highest price obtained was for a cow whicli 

 was sold for £4515. The highest price obtained lor a bull was £4095. 

 For the 91 animals sold the average price paid was £1337. The 

 prices obtained must be regarded as exceptional, but at the same time 

 the sale was gratifying proof of the high standard of excellence 

 -attained bv Fries breeders in South Africa. In order to assist in the 

 maintenance of this standard the limitation of future importation to 

 animals of high milk-producing capacity is under consideration'. 



27. Hides. — In the Agricultin-al Produce Grading Act, 1922, 

 provision is made, among other things, for the grading of hides. 

 The Tanners' Federation of Great Britain, supported by tanners in 

 this country, has made repeated representations regarding the bad 

 flaying of hides and Lhe depreciation of the value of hides by brand- 

 ing on the more valuable parts. Bad flaying obtains more especially 



