THE WOOL INDUSTRY 441 



stocked with the Cheviot breed of sheep reared in a similar environment on the hills bor- 

 dering England and Scotland; while the heavier sheep of the Down class have made 

 more headway for crossing purposes in the richer pasturage lands of the northern coun- 

 ties. With wool fetching a better price more attention has been given by the farmer 

 to its growing and " get-up," to the benefit of both himself and the manufacturer. 



Reference must here be made to the attempts of the Wool Section of the Bradford 

 Chamber of Commerce to impress upon both home and colonial wool growers the neces- 

 sity for greater care in the packing of wool in order that the " vegetable fibre difficulty " 

 may be eliminated. After experimenting with various wool packs the Chamber have 

 made definite recommendations, and it seems probable that in the near future wool 

 packed as recommended will fetch top price at the wool sales. The Chamber has 

 also faced the difficulty of grey hairs in otherwise white fleeces, and has made certain 

 recommendations to sheep breeders which may help to clear flocks of this defect." 



In Australia also some most interesting questions have been decided. Years ago 

 the question of shipping wool in the " greasy " as opposed to the " scoured " state was 

 hotly debated in the press, .and a perusal of the correspondence on the matter left one 

 absolutely in the dark as to which was the better method. Actually there was never 

 a doubt, with few exceptions shipping in the grease being distinctly preferable. The 

 question of the value of the Vermont breed in Australia has been fought out on very 

 similar lines, and although from the correspondence of a few years ago in the Australian 

 press it was impossible to decide for or against the Vermont, the past few years 

 have shown that the Vermont is practically doomed so far as Australia is concerned. In 

 the drought of 1902 the inability of the breed to withstand heat and dryness was only too 

 painfully in evidence; but it has needed the experience of the past three or four years in 

 washing, combing, spinning and manufacturing Vermont wools to bring the matter to 

 a climax. Bradford, after trying to institute a coating trade based upon low and strong 

 qualities of merino wools, has had a sudden awakening, and now demands nothing lower 

 for these fabrics than a 64'$ or preferably a yo's quality. This has been the deciding 

 factor, and so it comes about that the tendency of to-day is to grow a finer rather than a 

 coarser merino, and for this purpose the Vermont strain is practically useless. 



The following particulars taken from the Textile Mercury still show a result in favour 

 of growing the " strong " merino, but a slight rise of price in the " fine " and a down- 

 ward tendency in the " strong " would leave the advantage with the " fine." 



s. d. 

 Fine (7! lb.) f Ib. locks at 4d. per Ib. . ......;;...-.. ; :':.<. . . o 3 



15 Ib. bellies and 2nd pieces at 8d. per Ib. . . .... . . I o 



f lb. 1st pieces at lod. per lb. . . . . . 07^ 



4^ lb. fleece at is. 2 d. per lb. . ...... . . . . 5 5^ 



Total weight, 75 lb. Value ; . . . . . 7 4 



Total weight, 10 lb. Value . 



Strong (n lb.) I lb. locks at 3d. 



2 lb. bellies and 2nd pieces at 6|d. 

 i| lb. ist pieces at 8|d. 

 65 lb. fleece at is. oid. 



Total weight, n lb. Value 9 2\ 



Another most noticeable feature in the Australian flocks is the wonderful increase in 

 numbers. The maintenance of the prices paid for the leading Australian brands in 

 view of the large increase in wool shipments can only be explained by the vastly increased 

 demand by a more numerous and wealthier world population for better clothing. 



