16 The Financial Aspect of Sheep-washing, [april, 



show that the time has already arrived when omission to 

 wash is proving " most disadvantageous to farmers* 

 interests." 



Before leaving this item a few quotations from the Board 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries' "Weekly Report on Market 

 Prices " of July last in reference to wool should be noticed. 



" Edinburgh. — The American demand is helping washed 

 wools only." 



"Salisbury. — Bidding very brisk, especially for washed 

 wools." 



" Hungerford. — Hampshire Down ewe and teg mixed 

 made from io|d. to ii.d. washed, and6|d. to y\d. unwashed." 

 (The difference between the two prices here is sufficiently 

 large to show the great advantage that would accrue from 

 washing, especially if reference be again made to Table I.) 



" Newbury, Walling ford, and Didcot. — (Prices similar to 

 those given for Hungerford.)" 



" Marlborough. — Prices for washed were fully maintained, 

 but unwashed was a shade easier." 



On the other hand, the only reference making favourable 

 mention of unwashed wool is given as an afterthought in 

 the report for Newbury : " One special lot of unwashed ewe 

 wool made 8d." ; this surely is " the faint praise that damns." 



(4) Greater difficulty in removing dirt from the fleece after 

 it is shorn. — It is more difficult to cleanse the shorn fleece 

 than when it is growing on the sheep's back, hence it 

 probably costs more for the buyer to clean it than the seller. 

 Of course it must not be overlooked that all wool, whether 

 bought in the grease or washed, undergoes scouring before 

 it is spun into yarn ; but it is not the removal of the grease 

 so much as the dirt and grit that it is the farmer's business 

 to attend to. There is, however, a chance of the wool 

 containing too much grease after washing, as when a too 

 prolonged interval is allowed to elapse between washing and 

 shearing. The average time is generally reckoned at about 

 ten days, but a week would be sufficient in hot weather, with 

 the sheep in good condition, whilst a fortnight might not 

 be too long in the case of cold weather, and with sheep in 

 poor condition. In any case it should be remembered that 

 the buyer is the better judge as to the amount of grease 



