Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 66

Wool

Wool.

Wool is, undoubtedly, the most important production of New Zealand, its value in export being more than treble that of gold.

Wool is divided into two classes, combing wool and clothing wool; from which are produced the two leading kinds of manufacture in the cloth trade—viz., worsted and woollen goods.

page 23

The first comprises the long-stapled wools of the Lincoln, Leicester, Cotswold, and Romney Marsh breeds of English sheep.

They are required for worsted goods, and, when combed, for bom-bazines, camlet, &c. This is a class of wool for the production of which the soil and climate of New Zealand are very suitable. The long-woolled sheep of Great Britain improve by the change; the length of the wool is increased, and all its valuable properties preserved, owing doubtless to the genial climate and absence of exposure to the extremes of an English temperature.

The Leceister breed has received great attention in New Zealand, and is the favourite with the Auckland sheep-farmers.

The Cotswold is a wool very similar to the Leicester, but of a somewhat deeper and harsher character, and lacks the "lustre" so much in demand for certain classes of manufactured goods. The Cotswold appears quite as much in favour with the New Zealand breeder as the Leicester, and probably its habits and character are more generally adapted to the climate of the South Island and the mountain pastures of the colony than any other long-woolled sheep. The Cotswold bears exposure better than the Lincoln or Leicester, will live and thrive on poor land, and come to more weight of carcass than any other breed.

The value of this breed as a cross with either Leicester or short-woolled sheep cannot be too much spoken of, and the favour in which crosses with the Cotswold are held is a sufficient proof of their excellence.

The Romney Marsh partakes in a measure of the qualities of the Leicester and Lincoln, being a soft, rich, and good handling wool, rather finer in quality than the Leicester, and having the glossy or "lustre" appearance of the Lincoln. Wool of this description is much in demand for certain fabrics, and is much sought after in the French markets.

The Cheviot is a wool that has grown into considerable popularity of late years, and is largely used in the worsted manufacture. It is a small fine-haired wool, of medium length and moderate weight of fleece.

The varieties of fabrics manufactured from these long-stapled wools are almost innumerable, and are perpetually varying according to the changes of fashion, though there are certain fixed kinds which may be interesting to mention—viz., Sayes, which is used for clerical and academical vestments. Serge, Sateens, light woven cloths for ladies' dresses. Reps are heavier, and from the method of weaving have a transverse ribbed appearance. Cords are like the last, but with longi- page 24 tudinal ribs. Moreens, watered cloths. Merinoes, finely-woven cloths, originally made from the fine Spanish wool called merino. Paramattas, fine cloths originally made from the Paramatta wool with silk warps, though now woollen. Camlets, thin plain-woven cloths. Damasks, Shalloon, and, when made with cotton warps, Crapes, Coburgs, Tammies, Delaines, Lasting, and Orleans cloths.

The second kind or clothing wool comprises the short-stapled wool grown by the Southdown and Shropshire Down breeds of English sheep, and the Merino (Spanish) sheep, from which are manufactured woollen goods, including broadcloths and fancy kinds.

The Southdown is a short-stapled fine-haired close-growing wool, used chiefly for clothing purposes. The value of this breed to New Zealand sheep-farmers consists mainly in the improvements which crossing with it imparts to the carcass. Some breeders have crossed the Southdown with the Merino, and with cross-bred Romney Marsh and Merino.

The Shropshire Down is a breed which is growing every year into more importance. It produces a wool longer in the staple and more lustrous than any other Down breeds. It has been cultivated in New Zealand to a small extent only.

The Merino is the most valuable and important breed cultivated in New Zealand, and of sheep of this class the flocks of the colony are chiefly composed; they are of the Australian Merino variety, improved through the importation of pure Saxon Merino rams from Germany. The excellence of the Merino consists in the unexampled fineness and felting property of its wool, which in fineness and the number of serrations and curves exceeds that of any other sheep in the world. Fine Saxon Merino wool has 2,720 serrations to an inch, Merino wool 2,400, Southdown wool 2,000, and Leicester 1,850. These figures represent the felting properties of the various wools. The Merinoes adapt themselves to and thrive in every change of climate, and, with common care, retain all their fineness of wool as well under a burning tropical sun as in cold mountain regions.

In New Zealand the length of staple and weight of fleeces have been increased, without any deterioration in the quality of the wool.

Of the fabrics manufactured from these kinds of wool may be mentioned—Doeskins, technically called "seven-harness cloth." Cassimeres and Kerseymeres are "four-harness cloths," that is, four instead of seven threads in warp and weft, and in the kerseymeres the web, being subject to an extra milling, is rendered more compact. Sataras, ribbed cloths, highly dressed, lustred and hot-pressed. Venetians, woven as twills. Meltons, stout cloths not dressed or page 25 finished except by paring. Beavers, Deerskins, Diagonals, or fancy cloths. Bedford-cords, usually drab-coloured ribbed cloths, of great strength and durability. Tweeds, which are lightly felted, originally of Scotch manufacture, but now largely produced in this colony of a quality and variety of pattern quite equal to any that can be imported.

Up to the present time the weaving industry in New Zealand has been confined to tweeds, plaiding, and blankets, and various woollen underclothing.

The value of wool exported in 1884 amounted to £3,267,527.