170 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



April, 1921. 



the finest and bi-ightest wools to reap the benefits of 

 better methods of management and breeding. 



Consolidated grading also reduces costs ^ery mat- 

 erially as there is little or no loss of time on moving 

 co^s. 



In addition to the regular grades provision is also 

 made for at least fifteen main classes of reject wools. 

 This minute classification again facilitates sales to the 

 greatest possible degree. 



In the matter of wool qualities Canada stands on a 

 very high plane. The bulk of the combining wools are 

 suitable for the manufacture of high-class fabrics, but 

 unfortunately we have not developed an extensive 

 worsted industry for using the home gro\vn produce. 

 The result is that for the most part Canadian Comb- 

 ing" Wools have had to find a market outside the Dom- 

 inion. The clothing wools are also mainly of the finer 

 grades and have usually found a ready market at home. 

 Gracling and improvement in preparation for market 

 has had a very marked effect in bringing our wools into 

 more general use by Canadian mills. A number of mills 

 have used Canadian wools for the first time tliis year 

 and express general satisfaction as to grades and qual- 

 ities. It is hoped, therefore, that the ;iome consumption 

 of Canadian wools will inci-ease from year to year. 



A closer study is being made of grades to obtain a 

 more thorough knowledge of their respective marketing 

 values. Tliis year a sorting test was made of each grade 

 by provinces and in addition to acting as a check on the 



Early method of delivering wool at local grading centres. 



grading work it has served to point out where many 

 grades are lacking in certain particulars and is sug- 

 gestive of certain phases of improvement work which 

 might be undertaken. Owing to the general demand for 

 a finer class of goods and also to the fact that tliis de- 

 mand is likely to continue as a result of a higlier plane 

 of living, t.he importance of raising the general average 

 of wools to a higher grade level is fully appreciated and 

 it is hoped, by making a further study of the wools 

 from breed improvement work, as carried on by the 

 Experimental Farms and Agricultural Colleges, to as- 

 certain more or less definitely the laws of heredity" as 

 they operate to effect wool qualities. 



In the matter of wool improvement the value of the 

 pure bred sire is not lost sight of. The operation of the 

 Premium policy and the organization of ram clubs are 

 bringing about a much more general use of breeding 

 sires and pajTnent on the grade basis, which follows as 

 a result of grading and co-operative selling, has done 

 much to induce farmers to pay closer attention to the 

 culling and selection of the ewe flock with a view to 

 breeding a heavier and finer fleece. 



A scouring test has also been completed which shows 

 by comparison the scoured yield of the various grades. 

 The scoured yield is the basis on which aU miUs pur- 

 chase and the results wiU serve as a guide to the farm- 

 ers organizations in selling and will also prove bene- 

 ficial to intending purchasers. 



At t^ie present time Canada produces approximately 

 22,430,59Et pounds of wool. This figure is based on 

 the estimated sheep jjopulatiou for 1920 which is placed 

 at 3,720,783 head. As these estimates are taken in June 

 it is safe to assume that 35% of the sheep population 

 at that time is lambs and assuming the average weight 

 of a lamb's fleece to be -1 pounds at killing age there 

 woidd be an annual production of some 5,209,092 

 pounds of pulled wool at least 50% of which will be of 

 clothing lengths. There is probably another 5,000,000 

 I)ounds or more worked up at home for homespun, etc., 

 leaving approximately 10 to 12 million pounds which 

 goes through the regular trade channels. In Eastern 

 Canada fully 95% of the wools are of combing grades 

 and are suitable for the manufacture of worsted fabrics, 

 felts, sweaters, linings, braids, upholstering and carpets. 

 In Western Canada about 60% of the wools are of 

 combing lengths and the balance, clothing grades. The 

 clothing grades are suited for the manufacture of 

 tweeds, underwear, hoisery, sweaters and blankets. Be- 

 tween four and five million pounds of Canadian wool 

 wiU be of clothing lengths. 



Canada should be one of the heaviest wool consum- 

 ing countries in the world owing to the rigour of her 

 climate and the fact that no textile is warmer and wears 

 better than wool. It is a regrettable fact that during 

 tlie jiast .vear something ever 37,000.000 pounds of rags 

 and wool wastes were imported into Canada and that 

 our total purchasings in wool and woolen goods is 

 valued at $153,-193,535.00, whereas our total sales of wool 

 and wcolen goods amounts to only $16,959,725.00. 



Allowing for a per capita consumption of 8 lbs. 

 grease wool or 6 lbs. scoured wool and figuring our pre- 

 sent population at 9,000,000 it would require 5i,000.000 

 lbs. of manufactured goods, or, allowing for an average 

 addition of 50% wool substitutes as filler the required 

 raw product would be 37,800,000 pounds scoured 

 wool or practically double our present production. 



Canadian people at present are not generally aware 

 of the qualities of Canadian made goods and many ex- 

 cellent goods of Canadian manufacture are sold as im- 

 ]iorted because the public apparently have been edu- 

 cated to favor the imported article. 



If we were to allow two acres per sheep for occupie.l, 

 but unimproved land in (Ontario, Quebec and Prince 

 Edward Island, fcur acres in New Brunswick and Nova 

 Scotia and five acres in Western Canada, this unim- 

 proved land has a carrying capacity of 17,557,790 sheep 

 and in addition in all the provinces there are vast tracts 

 of unoccupied land much of which is suitable for sheep. 



Canada undoubtedly offer- room for the expansion of 

 the sheep industry to almost any limit. The unimproved 

 land for the most part is cheap and no animal will make 

 it more productive and profitable than sheep. Our 

 people require much more wool" than we produce. We 

 liave perfected a selling agoncy whereby Canadian wools 

 may be sold on a par with any wools in the world. Let 

 us organize the business of wool production so that we 

 may not only have our own selling agency, but also that 

 we produce sufficient wool for our own needs with a 

 surplus for export, that we manufacture our woolen 

 goods and wear Canadian grown wools. 



