Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-22
Farming in the Northwest
News and Notes as Compiled by the Grand Forks
A WOOL POOL NEWS

Pull NEWS
necessary expense of marketing, that
usually creates dissatisfaction in CO.
operative propositions; but a lack of
confidence. If wool marketing or any
other similar proposition by, the
membership, honest officials, above
board dealings in the conduct OF as
ISOLATION business and lastly, the
honest preparation of the product for
h consumer.
At this date we have received con-
s%ignn.ents from about $50 growers
amounting to 605,60O pounds of wool
in carload OTIS. Most Of this wool
has been shipped by the following
county wool growers associations:
Dickey, Sargent, Richland, Cass,
Barnes, Grand Forks, Nelson, Ram
Bottineau. Ward, Mclean, Divide.
and Golden Valley. Individual con-
signments have been received from
almost every county in the state, but
do not amount to over 5000 pounds.
County associations in Cavalier, Ben
son and kidder will consign their
wool the latter part OF this month,
which will bring the total to about
100000 pounds by November LIST.
The directors of the federation met
on September 21st to discuss and de-
eide various matters connected with
the conduct of the pool and the bust
ness Of the federation. A motion was
made to ask for an opportunity dur
ing the Tri-State Grain Growers con-
vention to demonstrate wool grading
and other matters connected with
sheep raising at the warehouse. A
legislative committee was appointed
to secure state laws protecting the
sheep men from damage by coyotes
and stray dogs, this committee was
also requested to secure petitions in
support of national laws protecting
the public and the sheep men from
the influx of frozen mutton and lamb
and the use of "shoddy'' or reworked
rags in the manufacture Of wooden
goods,
The wool is all stored at present in
original sacks in the north wing of
the warehouse. Five experienced
graders and wool handlers have made
application for the work of grading
our wools. These men come well
recommended by the U. S. Bureau of
Markets. At the present time these
men are being carefully investigated.
Mr.. Crabbe, president of the Ware
AAouoS oIAiP"iy - v vi LIS way
east to interview them personally and
to order the necessary equipment for
grading. We feel that it is very es-
sential that we secur a grader famil-
lar with mAll standards and require
ments and whose grading will be ac-
ceptable to buyers without the neces-
sity of rehandling.
We do not want our grades worked
high" neither do we want them
worked low" as has been the Gus
tom in the Past. This year there is
az much as a ten cent spread between
some grades and it means hundreds
Of dollars if we get a fair decision
on so-called cline f%leeces," that is,
feeces that are on the border be-
tween grades.
Plans are now to start grading not
later than November 1st. and this
work should be well completed by the
first Of January. Growers who can
possibly make arrangements should
drop in to see this work in progress,
as it is an education in itself to the
grower Of wool. Secretaries of the
county associations will be notified
woods and if the local association 30
desires they may send a representa-
tive to be present during grading and
final reweighing.
At this writing inactivity still char
acterizes the wool market, and a
watching and waiting policy is still
In vogue. The wool trade is fearful
of a new low level of prices and no
one feels sufficiently certain that&the
low mark has been reached to step
out and buy in large quantities.
In a general way the "Seaboard"
market quotations (Boston and Phil
adelphia) vary on the grades of wool
found in this state from % to so
cents. This level has been maintain
ed with but slight variation for the
past three months. These values are
always referred to as nominal" that
is, they represent a price somewhere
between what the buyers will pay
and what the large pools and other
holders are asking. Actual sales have
usually been made at the expense Of
these so-called nominal values" In
general way and not going into q
very intricate classification "Fine''
and Five Medium Wool is worth As
to 50 cents, "one-half blood" As to
SO cents, "three-eights blood" 40
cents, "one.quarter' blood" IS cents,
low one-quarter blood" 20 to 30
cents. Thes are prices in the greece
and based upon clean values now pre-
vailing less the usual shrinkage which
takes place when Dakota wool is
secured.
Growers who have been c%onsigning
their wool for sale to commission
houses for about the price we should
receive for our lowest grades by pool
ing. grading and selling direct to
mills.
Based on averages obtained from
several hundred thousand pounds OF
North Dakota wool, shipped from
former North Dakota pools, the fol-
lowing proportion were obtained:
O~ne-eighth Fine" one-eighth "half-
blood" three-eights" "three-eiglfts
blood" two~eights "one-fourth blood"
And one-eighth low on~e-fourth
Iblood" and snliscellaneous. In terms
tofs breeds of sheep. the nan who mas