1909.] The Financial Aspect of Sheep-washing. 7 



lots on sale catalogues, but in some districts this is more 

 true of washed wool. Some pertinent reasons for abandon- 

 ing the time-honoured . . . pastoral operation of washing 

 sheep have been placed before flockmasters, and accepted 

 by most of them as conclusive." 



The disadvantages of washing, given in the article above 

 referred to, will be dealt with later. The statement contained 

 in the concluding part of the last sentence appears, however, 

 much too drastic in the light of the figures just quoted from 

 Mr. Rew's report. 



Recent Wool Sales. — Sufficient references, portraying 

 much diversity of opinion, have been given to show that 

 flockmasters may well be very doubtful as to the advantages 

 of washing sheep. It was on this account that the writer, 

 after attending the annual Wool Sale held at Guildford 

 last July, set about gleaning information which should give 

 a decisive answer to this much-debated question. Owing to 

 the courtesy of Mr. Fred Lee, of Messrs. Hewett and Lee, 

 of Guildford, whose assistance in connection with all the 

 figures in this article the writer gratefully acknowledges, 

 the weight of each lot of wool was obtained, the prices 

 per lb. being secured at the time of sale, and corroborated 

 later by reference to Messrs. Hewett and Lee's books. The 

 Catalogue of Sale contained a detailed account of the number 

 of fleeces, whether washed or unwashed, and the age, sex, 

 and breed of sheep from which the different lots of wool 

 were clipped. By means of these data the total number of 

 fleeces, say, of washed wool of any particular class of sheep, 

 and their weight were arrived at. By dividing the total 

 number of lbs. of this wool by the number of fleeces, the 

 average weight of each washed fleece was obtained. This 

 weight, multiplied by the average price realised, gave the 

 average value of the washed fleece. Similarly the average 

 value of the unwashed fleece was got at. In this way the 

 value of the fleece (or per head of sheep) for several breeds 

 and ages of sheep which were represented at Guildford, was 

 estimated. These figures are shown in Table I. Where 

 the description in the Catalogue of any lot of wool appeared 

 to be inadequate, or where mixed wools were put up in one 

 lot, the figures have been discarded altogether so as to 

 eliminate possible errors arising from these sources. 



