Weekly journal-miner., 1920-04-21
WOOLGROWERSIN ARIZONA FACE
 GOOD YEAR
By E. P. Taylor, Director Agricul- tural Extension Service, Uni
 versity of Arizona

Arizona wool growers are the first in the land to have to lead off and open up the wool market This is because Arizona flOcks are the first to be clipped.
 Shearing in the southern part of the state begins along in February and finishes along in March. Shear ing ill the Salt River valley, where large numbers of sheep are held for the winter. is now just about fin ished up and the flocks with their lambs by their side are beginning to drift northward. They are now out across the alfilaria flats and foothills headed for the summer pastures of the higher lands toward the Grand Canyen.
 The clip has been heavy, the lamb crop unusually good and the pros poets for very satisfactory wool price all go to make the Arizona sheepman feel in a very happy frame of mind.
 Some of the clip has already been sold at figure well up toward the dollar mark but a majority Of the Arizona sheepmen prefer to consign their wool to eastern wool commits sion houses.
 A few years ago an educational campaign was carried on in Arizona by the Agricultural Extension Serv- ice of the University which secured the services of W T. Ritch, a noted authority upon sheep and wool, from Australia. MT. Ritch held that Ari zona woo1s were of very high qual ity but that the sheepmen were not getting what they should for their wool, for lack of grading and class ing. This did not result in the establishment of modern shearing sheds where the wool could be classed ready for the buyer at home as had been hoped, but it did result in many sheepmen paying more at tention to the grades of wool they were producing.
 Western sheepmen are this year more than ever before relying upon selling upon a commission plan in stead of as formerly through the old way of local and travelling buyers and spectators.
 Professor (. I. Bray, one of the best posted stockmen in Colorado, and who is connected with the Colo rado Agricultural College, states that in his state from fifteen to twenty five cents more per pound were re- ceived when sold through regular commission merchants in 1918.
 Should Sell Direct
 The ideal way would be for the sheepmen to sell directly to the
  plan this is not possible since the woolen mill only wishes to buy one or two grades whereas the wool ot the western sheepmen is sent away from the shearing corral containing all grades.
 For this reason not only wool warehouses are necessary but wool merchant between the wool grower and the woolen manufacturer IS nee essary. Although practically all wool is marketed soon after shearing the wooden manufacturer usually acquires his supply, much later buying the particular kind of wool he wishes, combing for the Worsteds or the grade known as clothing for the wooiens, felts, etc.
 The average wool grower has been opposed to consignment though he has become quite accustomed to con signing his livestock to reliable live stock commission firms or eastern markets. It is true that a part of this opposition has been due to the fact that the consigned wool sold only as the orders came from the woolcn mill which delayed payment to the grower on the last of the clip.
 A heavy wool consumption is in dicated this year which should prom ise well for good prices. The Blu reau of Markets shows for the month of January 72,7000OO pounds of vir- gin wool consumed by the manufac- turers as compared with 58,20O,0OO for the corresponding month in 1919 and 65, 100000 pounds ill January, 1918.
 On March first the wool stocks in the county were about 500,0O0OO pounds. The amount of raw wool required throughout the year in the United States is estimated at about 75C,0G0,000. The manufacturers have to import about one-half the wool they use and always carry a large reserve.
 CONTPACTOP GIFTS IMPLYING