1909.] The Financial Aspect of Sheep-washing. 15 



year 1906 was approximately 493,000,000 lbs., while our 

 home sheep produced 133,000,000 lbs. only. 



(2) Wool, when washed, is more attractive to the buyer. — 

 In other words, competition for it is keener; this was very 

 noticeable at the Guildford sale last year, for when specially 

 clean lots were put up there was much more spirited bidding. 



As in any business, the man who makes his wares the most 

 attractive commands the readiest sale for them. The Cana- 

 dian system of grading fruit for market, whereby uniformly 

 even and clean fruit has displaced to a considerable extent 

 home-grown, carelessly packed, and non-graded fruit, may 

 be mentioned as an example. 



One point the farmer should remember in this connection, 

 and that is, the wool-buyer knows infinitely more about wool 

 than he does, owing to the fact that the farmer generally 

 sees his and his neighbours' clips but once a year, while the 

 buyer has wool passing through his hands almost every day 

 in the week at certain seasons of the year. It stands to 

 reason, therefore, that the farmer is not going to gull the 

 buyer by selling dirt in the fleece, which the former thinks 

 the latter will mistake for wool. The buyer will make an 

 accurate estimate of the amount of loss the wool will suffer 

 when bought in the unwashed condition. It would appear 

 also that the buyer having been "once bit " is " twice shy," 

 or how is the substantial difference in price between the 

 washed and the unwashed fleece accounted for? As already 

 stated, the buyer, knowing the great variation in the amount 

 of dirt contained in unwashed wool, makes ample provision 

 for safeguarding his own interests. 



(3) Fewer buyers for unwashed wool. — This is another 

 reason for less competition. Mr. Rew's report, already 

 referred to, contains this comment from a wool-buyer. " The 

 desirability of washing is insisted upon, and one buyer 

 observes that farmers limit their market by offering the wool 

 in the grease, as the majority of spinners and manufacturers 

 will not buy wool in that state." Another observes that "the 

 omission to wash is an unwise and indolent habit, which 

 sooner or later will prove most disadvantageous to farmers' 

 interests." The figures already given afford sufficient 

 corroboration of this last very pregnant sentence, and 



