WOOL DOWN

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 118, 14 November 1929, Page 11

WOOL DOWN

CROSSBREDS IN DEMAND

FINE QUALITIES NEGLECTED

A total catalogue of approximately eight thousand bales were offered to-day in the Town Hall to a packed 'bench of buyers fully representative of all consuming centres. The sale was not only the first of the season in this district but for the whole Dominion. -Brokers had already apprised farmers of a fall in values and so it turned out, but the prices made to-day were in excess of expectations. A drop of 4d to 5d was prepared for, but the fall was so so severe as this, as reference to the official range of prices will show. Merinos and half-breds were stagnant, but not sufficiently quoted to give, an idea of their value. Lambs catalogued were mainly of last season,, and were seedy and generally unattractive,. They were neglected. Crutchings sold up to prices realised in the Wellington, sales held in August. ' Bradford buyers were < practically spectators, but the Continent was active, and valuable support was given by Tasmaniau manufacturers for wools suited to their requirements. The United Spates was not conspicuous in the,market. New Zealand mills bought well considering the wools they usually take'and the state of the market. It is estimated that but 85 per cent, of the catalogues were sold under the hammer. _ . OFFICIAL REMARKS. Mr. I. B. Moodie, chairman of the Wellington Wool Brokers' Association, in a cursory review of the market, commented on the excellent attendance" of buyers and the keen interest they evinced in the opening sale of the New Zealand season. "It is gratifying (he said) to report that prices for good to medium crossbreds are considerably in advance of brokers' ideas of values. The bidding for crossbreda was exceedingly keen at the start from Russia, France, and Tasmania. The last-named is usually a feature in the opening sales of the New Zealand season. Bradford was not operating to any notable ex-' tent, its- interests apparently being confined to medium top-making descriptions.

"Superior crossbreds, light in condition and of good colour, sold at 13* d to 14id per pound,, and a few extra superfine lots weTe sold at slightly higher prices. Good style Bomneys made 11 Jd to 13d, with mediums selling at lOd to lid." »

Buyers and. brokers' opinions as to the wool offered appeared to agree in that it was not robust, very thin, and with some tenderness. Evidently the sheep in the Wellington district have not come through the winter as well as they did last year. There was, too, a little more condition in the latest shorn 'wools than was notieeablo last

year.

PRICES COMPARED. f The official ranee of prices was as follows:— 20th March. 14th Nov. Per lb. Per lb. > - d a d d Extra fine crossbred— Inferior 13% to 15U None Super, 48/50 17M. to ID 1/. 13 y to 14 Average ... 1514 to 17y s 11V> to 12% Inferior ... 13 to 15 IOV2 to 11*4 Corriedale— Super .... . None • None Average- ... 13'!} to 17 H None. .Inferior ... None Nono Fine crossbred, 46/4S — Super ' 16'i to 1S% IS to 14VAverage ... 15 to lli'i 11'/. to IS " Inferior ... 12 .to 14^ 9</~ to 11 Medium crossbred, 44/40— Super .... 10 to 17% 12'i to 1351 Average ... 11 to 15?; 11 to 1" Inferior. ... 12 to 13«. U=i to 11 Coarse crossbred, 40/44— Super 14% to IG',1 12 to lliVi Average^ ... 13V4 to 14% J0V'. to 11'/. Inferior ....10 to 13 0 to 9=1 Low crossbred, 36/40 — Super .... None None Average ... 12%, to 133* Nouo .Inferior .... 9 to ll'-i Nono Hoggets— 43/50 ■•;••.. W% to 18% "32 to 13% Fine, 40/48 .14 to 17 12 to 14% Med., 44/46 . '14 to 1014 -.12 to 12V. Coarse. 40/44 14 to 16 None Low, 36/40 . 12^ to 13"/ 2 None • Lambs— Down, 50/56 . 16 to 21 None "Fine 15 to 20 None • Medium 40/44 13 to 15- , None Seedy and inferior (all grades) 5 to 11% None Bellies and PiecesMerino : Good to super 11 to ] 3Vi None Low to med. 11 to 13& None Half-bred: Good to super 13 to 15»4 ' None Low to med. 10 to 13 None Crossbred: Good to super 10% to 15 8 to 11 Low to med. 6% to ay- 6 to IVCriitchinEs — -, * Med. to good 10 to 13«. 8U to 914 Inf'r ana seedy 4% to 8% 3"«. to 7 Locks— Merino 7 to 10 None HaUbred .. 7>l to 9% None Crossbred ■■ X>% to 7% 4>,i to 5'/»