15G 
Wool and its Uses. 
An Increase of 1,088,487 acres of pei-manenfc pasture In 
England between 1877 and 1887 thus appears to result in a loss 
of 4,935,542^. 
VII. — Wool and its Uses. By John W. Turner, 126 Swan 
Arcade, Bradford. 
In the eleventh volume of this ' Journal ' (1875) there appeared 
an article by Earl Cathcart entitled " Wool in relation to 
Science with Practice." It would have been very easy to ex- 
pand every one of the sections into which that article is divided 
so as to produce a separate essay; but as yet I have seen no 
serious attempt to take up and carry on the work so ably and 
suggestively commenced. 
I wall take leave to say that after the lapse of thirteen years, 
during which the "staple" has gone through many changes and 
vicissitudes, the article is still good reading and contains much 
valuable food for reflection. As an introduction to my own effort 
to continue the work let me quote the following paragraph : — 
" I would endeavour for tlie first time in history to bring the English 
■wool-consumer and the English wool-grower into friendly relations, uniting 
them on the only sound basis of a mutual understanding of intercommunity 
of interests promoted by free association and co-operation " (p. 309). 
This, I take it, ought to be the keynote of all discussion on 
this subject. The struggle to retain our supremacy as a manu- 
facturing country gi-ows more keen with every succeeding j'ear, 
and it is only by earnestly recognising that the interests of the 
farmer and manufocturer are bound up with each other, that 
we can hope to maintain our position. The manufacturers of 
England are doing good work in the way of educating the 
people connected with various industries, the wool industry in 
particular. Since Lord Cathcart's paper was written, the 
manufacturers of Bradford have spent more than 50,000^. in 
founding a Technical College where " science with practice " 
can be acquired by any townsman, from the manufacturer's son 
to the son of the labourer. They are moreover counuitted to a 
large annual expense, and this without aid from Government — 
either imperial or municipal. Many other towns are doing the 
same, so that if we do fall short of our competitors it will not be 
the fault of the manufacturers of wool. 
To quote again from Lord Cathcart's paper: — 
" Mr. Stephens, one of the most practical writers in the whole range of 
EngUsh literature, tells us it would be well for wool-growers to receive 
lessons from wool-staplera. Wool-growers at present grow their wool in 
ignorance of the requirements of the homo manufacture, and consequently 
prices and interests are seriously aflected," 
