WOOL REPORT FROM LONDON.

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 530, 25 March 1908, Page 4

WOOL REPORT FROM LONDON.

Under date London, February 7, Messrs Charles Balme and Co. re--I)oThe~New Zealand clip this season varies much in condition, some ot tho brands from the Hawke's Bay dis trict being light in grease and well crown, while others are rather ratty and immature; taken all round, however, the wools from the North Island show very litle improvement on last season's growth. The produce of tho South Island has been only partially represented in the catalogues during the series, and it is too early to form an opinion as to its merits. , , , . The South African wools brought forward have consisted largely of good combing greasies, many of which had been more carefully classed and skirted than usual: prices for such lots have ruled fully up to and at tunes slightly in excess of December rates; on the other hand, values for shortstapled lots, which sold well at the outset, weakened somewhat during the progress of the sales. Snow-whites and scoureds, which have been in small supply, sold rather irregularly to begin with, but later on attracted more compeition and made fully previously quotations!. In view of the course of events during tho past three^months, current prices for merinos must be considered satisfactory. The consumption of this class.of wool is large, and at present quite equal to the supply, so that, although values in London have been slightly above those ruling in the manufacturing centres, there seems to be no grounds for anticipating any further reduction. As regards crossbreds the outlook is somewhat obscure; the Bradford oxport trade in tops and yarns has recently been very quiet, and until there is some recovery in the volume of business with Germany, which is j the principal outlet, it seems improbable that there will be any material improvement in prices.