OUR LONDON WOOL LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 7

OUR LONDON WOOL LETTER.

(Fbom Oue Special Coebespondbht.) -„-,. #• Londqn, March 6. ■ ANOTHER GRAND START. . Capital 1 The golden-hoofed merino, and the • • bms "-ms.king crossbred have ecered another point and taken a new lease of life. Vegetable fi'ort',B may rise and fall with extravagance, dominated principally iv its movements by the ignonmoe of semi-civilised nations, but the natural wool fibre needed by those where light and learning has left its elevating mark mounts tip steadily with an air of gracefulness which cauuot fail but fill the miud of the growers the vide world over with feelings of unalloyed satisfaction. Every series of London wool auctions which have taken phce since those corresponding a year ago with the present series have not closed without »eeiDg the staple advance a step forward, and the present is not to pass without maintaining the glorious record. And why should ib P Amid all the noise and bustle characteristic of » true woolsale, the second series for the cur- 1 jeafc year opened its pages lasb Tuesday. From the early stirrings in the huge wool warehouses, it was very evident thab as xegards numbers there would be no deficiency. " But as the true gauge to the situation cannot be made here, one must perforce see what will be realised for the various brands in the wool salerooms later. It must be said that for an opening day there was submitted a character of wool sufficient to call forth the energies of the trade. It is, therefore, not to be wondered that buyers were soon " stung " into action, and a very strong demand was apparent. Continental operators were especially to the front, French- . men taking the lead. By this time it was very -_• We have briefly described the most formidable, of our weed grasses, in the following order :— Goose Grasses, four varieties; Hair Grasses, three •varieties ; Fog Grasses, two varieties ; Couch Grasses, three varieties ; Darnel Grass ; Barley Graßsei, two varieties ; and Wild Oats. No pains s Bhottld be spared to rid the land of those pests. At best they only take up the sp»ce which should bt occupied with the more valuable grasses.

evident which way the wind was blowing, and according to prices .paid lart series it was very strongly evident that buyer* had exceeded their last B»le'a limits to the extent of £cL Thus the sale closed, showing that for all good. Australian combing, whether grease or scoured, an advance of 5 per cent, had been made, while for clothing sorts from , par to 5 per cent, had been realised. Under a keen fke'fromYarkunire, New Zealand oi'ossbre.ls hud also advanced J?or Caps acd Nfttivl good greano waß sold at abqve January rates, while scoureds uhowed £d rise. Since the opening competition has w&xed k> ener, and the full advance made has been 'freely paid. American buyers are ,not so numerous as last series, and their operations so for are restricted. j Sold by Messrs Jacomb.Son.andCo., March 3:— JO, 206 balis greasy crossbred »Jd, 51 do 9d, 33 do pieces Bd, 13 do do 7id, 16 orosabred lambs B}d ; thix clip, was not. of the b >st— there was certainly good quality, but lacked condition ; Shamrock, Hi a crossbred 9}d, %\ do 9d, 10 crousbred c 9Jd, 6 do 9d, 19 B crossbred 9d, 6 do BJd. 6 do bellies 6H • MV joined, 11.8 fine crossbred 9id, 29 c do P-Jd, 45 D do 9d, 7 first crossbred Bid, 12 second do Bid, 22 firai pieces crossbred Bd, 5 second do 7Jd ; condition in these two brands was the worst feature about them. Sold by M<rss>r« Buxton, Ronald, and Co., sime. day :— Moorabool, 14 superfine greaw crossbred lOJd, 34 do lOd, 12 do 9J<1, 25 do fid, 7do pieces 9Jd, 5 do bellies 7!<i ; up to the mark in every resi ect ; BK over Blue Glen, 38 greasy combing BJd. Sold by Messrs Charles Balme and Co., same day :— ' :FMin box, 33 washed third crossbved BJd, 7 pieces 9Jd, 32 ci ossbred pieces 9<l, 8 do Bd. A full week's particulars next mail, which' is now closing. Prom a woolman's point of view the week under review in home wool matters is satisfactory, and there has bean made progress. The easy condition of affairs no longer exists ; there has been a tightening all round, a>id Bradford again is breathing more freely. This has been brought aboub, nob because of any increased 'con-umptive demand, bub users of, stock knowing their owu piles wf re fast getting less, and fearing that Lont'oa would go detd agtinafc WoMtedopolirt's id«a of things, havo seen fib to operate of 'late more freely. The late fractional improvement in values for merinos are paid freely, and the belief is now universal that the all-round improvement had c.'me to stay, and that more business and better pries may be expected in the near future. Bofch merinos und crossbreds are very firm and in moderate request, a fairly satisfactory amount of business being recently dune in both descriptions. Rngliah wools are also improving in position, although sslowly. The stocks in hand are moderate, and in view of the time which must elapsa before the new wool comes in the market the . belief in a subs' antial rise in rates before that time saeins to he well grounded. /There is also an improving aspect for 8ou f h American wools, and values rise and fall with the condition of j the market. The following table is worthy of consideration both by Home and colonial readers, as showing the variation of prices during the pasb month :—: —

i

I 4 I A d. 1« 111 Hi 10J 11 Hi 3! I 1 10} i 101 10J Hi S3 g i_ d. ' 131 11 11 loj n 1 1H * I ' Description of Staple. d. 15 Hi I d. it* 11 10J 11 •» 1 a d. Hi 11 11 101 11 Hi Lincoln hoggs Lincoln wethers Irish hoggs Ir'ißh wethers Kent -withers ... .".j Pick Shropshire liOßgs Pioi Shropshire wethers Ordinary halfbred JlOggß .Ordinary halfbred vrethers Ordinary 60's Buenos Ay res topß Ordinary 60's Colonial top* Super 60's Colonial tops Ordinary 36's crossbred tops Ordinary 40's crossbred tops Ordinary 46's crossbred tops Ordinary 50's crossbred top 3 Ordinary 56's crossbred tops_ Cape winter mohair ... HI 11 101 16} 11 10J 10 J6J 101 101! » v 10f 101 91 17 10J 10J » 17 10* 10J „ I7i 18 19J 17J 17} 191 18 191 I*l SO 18J 2) M*| 141 14i 141 U3 14* 151 151 151 151 151 15f 151 151 15 151 15| 15| 16J 161 161 161 16} 16i lfii 14i 161 Mi 16i 141 iej 141 16J 17 161 18