WELLINGTON WOOL SALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3593, 23 January 1923, Page 13

WELLINGTON WOOL SALES.

WELLINGTON, January 17. Buyers were excedingly keen at the January Wellington series of wool sales to-day. The demand came from Bradford, the United States, France, Belgium, and Germany, and to a limited extent from Japan. The following is a range of the prices realised: Merino.—64's to 70's, 60’s to Gt's, GO’S, super, 26d to 29d; average, 231-d to 2oJd; inferior, 19Id to 20d. Fine Halfbred, 56’s to 58’s.—Super, 23d to 24Jd; average, l»id to 23d; inferior, 15d to Medium Halfbred, 50’s to 56's.—Average, ißld to 22|d; inferior, 15d to 18d. Coarser Halfbred, 48’s to 50’s.—Average, 15? id to 20d; inferior, 12?,d to laid. Corriedale.—Super, 20d to 22?,-d; average, 18Jd to 20d; inferior, 15d to 16d. Fine Crossbred, 46’s to 48's. —Super, 131 d to 16d; average, Hid to 13J<I; inferior, 9d to lid. Medium Crossbred, 44’s to- 46’s. —Super, 13id to 15Jd; average, 10k! to 14d; inferior, BJd to 10J-d. Coarse Crossbred, 40’s to 44’s. —Super, lOjrd to 12? d; average, 9Jd to lid; inferior, 8d to 9 x d *Low Crossbred, 36’s to 40's.—Super, Old to 10J1; average, Bld to 9jd; inferior, 7ld to Bid. ’ Hoggets.—Fine, 46’s to 48’s, 13d to l6£d; medium 44’s to 46’s, 12d to l ljd; coarse 40’s to 44’s, IOJd to 3 2d; low 36’s to 40’s, 9d to 10id. Lambs, Down, 50’s to 56's, 16d to 17£d; fine, 44's to 50's, 13Jd to 16id; medium, 40’s to 44’s, Hid to 14d, seedy and inferior, 6d to 9d. Bellies and Pieces.—Merino, good to super, 15d to 22 Id; merino low to medium, 13d to 15d; halfbred, good to super, 13d 'to 17d; halfbred, low to medium, lid to 13Jd; crossbred, good to super, 9d to llld; crossbred, good to medium, 6d to BJd. Crutcliings.—Medium to good, 6ld to 8d; inferior and seedy, 4d to 6d. Locks.—Merino, 9d to lid; halfbred, 5Jd to 64d; crossbred, 4d to sld. There was a confident tone throughout the wool sale. Prices for the bulk showed advances of three halfpennies to twopence compared with the last Wellington sale. The principle feature of the sale was the very good prices obtained for some excellent merinos from the Marlborough district, which met with keen competition, and realised from 26d to 29d per lb—a record for New Zealand merinos for many years. Besides the usual buyers who have attended the sales for many years there were representatives present from France, Germany, and Japan, who, with others, were keen competitors for all wools that suited their particular requirements. Overseas buyers and dominion mills were anxious to secure merino, but the local mills were able to secure their wants over the heads of their competitors. Several of the best merino clips from the Marlborough district were included in the catalogue, and the quality of the crossbreds from other districts was very good, buyers’ comments being favourable. Confidence is felt in the future of the market, as buyers apparently feel that supplies of wool are getting short. Merino and halfbred prices were over, but crossbreds were considerably under the commandeer prices, but the commandeer prices were 55 per cent, above the pre-war prices. It was stated that although the farmer is not quite back to a pre-war footing, he is getting somewhere near that stage now. The prices obtained at the sale show an advance of about one penny on the Wanganui sale on January 8, and are on a par with those of the Napier sale a few days ago, while they show most satisfying advances on the last Wellington sale.

CANTERBURY CRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKET.

(Lyttelton Times, January 19.) Practically the only new season’s stuff tfaal has com* forward so far are a few line* °t ryegrass and Algerian oats. The wel weather has intertered with harvesting operations, and so the quantity of new season’s stuff ready for marketing has been reduced. Merchants are offering for Algerians from 2s 6d to 2s 9d per bushel on trucks at country stations (prompt delivery), and a few sales have been made in the neighbourhood of these prices. An odd line or so of Gartons was offered this week. One merchant stated he had offered a farmer 2s 3d per bushel on trucks at country stations (prompt delivery) for a line of Gartons, but. the farmer had refused to sell at this price. The merchant said that 2s 8d per bushel was really above London parity, but he thought that the opening price would be somewhere about that. The recent ruins have delayed the harvesting of wheat, and so far no lines have c r me on to the market. However, it is not likely that many farmers will be prepared to sell their wheat until the outcome of the proposal made at the recent conference that the price should he 5s fid per bushel, f.o.b, southern ports, is known. This week sales of ryegrass at from 3s fid to 3s 9d per bushel, on trucks at country stations, were made, but the quantity involved in these sales was not great. Other classes of seeds have not yet made their appearance on the'market. The hot, muggy weather experienced during the past day or so has not been good for the potato crops, for it is liable to cause blight. Of course, the late crops are not likely to be affected at this time of the year, but there is considerable danger that the earlier crops will be if the present weather continues. Another point is that, if blight appears in the early crops this month, it is likely to do very serious damage, and it is not impossible that it may spread to the later crops. “Blight is like an influenza epidemic, you never know where it will stop once it gets a start,” one merchant remarked yesterday. It is reported that blight has made its appearance in some of the crops round the Marshland district. The possibility of blight makes it impossible to form an estimate of the yield with anything like accuracy, and so forward buying has now practically ceased. Merchants are offering up to £8 5s per ton on trucks at country stations, but farmers are not prepared to sell forward at this price. Inquiries for potatoes are being received from Auckland merchants, who want to buy forward, but their offers are too low for local merchants, who have bought at from £3 to £3 5s per ton, to do business. A few lines of autumn-sown onions cams forward this week, and sales are reported at £6 per' ton on trucks at country stations. Very little forward business is being done in anions. The prices quoted below are mainly for old season’s stuff, and are therefore purely nominal. The following are quotations for produce to be paid to farmers at country stations, free of commission, sacks extra, except ivhero otherwise stated: Milling Wheat.—According to Government prices. Tuscan, 5s 10jd per bushel f.0.b.; Hunters, 6s lid; Pearl, 6s 74d. Fowl Wheat.—4s 3d to 4s 5d per bushel, f.o.b. Oats—Gartons, 2s 5d to 2s 8d per bushel; Algerians (new season’s), 2s 6d to 2s 9d; Duns (dark coloured), 2s 6d to 2s Bd, light coloured 2s to 2s 2d. Chaff.—£3 to £3 10s per ton. Onions.—£6 per ton (autumn-sown). White Clover.—lOd to Is per lb. Red Clover.—9d to lOd per lb. Perennial Ryegrass.—3s 6d to 3s 9d poft bushel (new season’s). Italian Ryegrass.—3s 6d to 3s 9d pe» bushel (new season’s). Cocksfoot.—4id per lb. Bariev.—2s 9d to 3s fid per bushe.. Cape" Barley.—2s fid to 2s 9d per bushel. Linseed.—£l4 10s per ton. Flour.—According to Government prices: 2001 b sacks, £ls 10s; 1001 b hags, £l6 10s* 501 b bags, £l7; 251 b bags, £l7 10s,all per ton, f.0.b., Lyttelton, Timaru, and Oamaru. Bran.—According to Government prices: £5 to £5 10s per ton, aooording to packing, f.0.b., southern ports. Pollard.—According to Government prices* £8 to £8 10s per ton, according to packing, f.0.b., southern ports. AGRICULTURAL AND PAST ORAL NEWS. In Hawke’s Bay an exception ah'y busy time is being spent by orchardiats and railway employees alike at present in leading cases of fruit for the south. Loading operations are continued until late at night, and there seems to bo a never-ending line of cases. The bulk of the fruit being sent away consisting of apricots, burbank plums, peaches, cooking apples, and dessert apples, while next week a start will be made on nectarines. The crops of applea are outstanding, but supplies of pears are very light. A splendid example of the excellent results that can be secured by the adoption of irrigation in Central Otago has been brought under our notice in the shape of two sheaves of oats, one of which was grown on land that secured the benefit of irrigation, the other being raised under ordinary conditions. It appears that last autumn Mr H. L. Paterson, of Cloudy Peak, Lindis Valley, put some 18 acre* of land in Garton oats, using 14 bushel* of seed to the acre. The configuration of the country was such that it was impossible to irrigate three acres. The whole of the crop made good growth at the start, and in October, when it was about 6in high, irrigation was applied to the land where it was practicable to do so. Thi* portion was thoroughly soaked right down to the subsoil, the water being turned on for about two hours. The effect was shown in , a very marked manner in the subsequent growth of the crop. The oats ca the non-irrigated portion came along slowly, with only one or two stalks from each plant, whereas those on the remainder cf the land grew splendidly, each plant throwing out several stalks. There seems to b« every reason to believe that the area served by the Government’s new Ardgour water race, which will be available for some 2000 acres of land, will prove a decided success, judging by the results so far achieved. The value of irrigation in Central Otago will be realised when it is mentioned that its application increases the yield of c#op four or five times. Some photographs \\ ill be found on our illustrated pages.

The hay crop in North Taranaki will be a good one this season (remarks an exchange). There is an increasing inclination on the part of farmers to go in for ensilage, which as a winter fodder is considered to be excellent. There has been some activity among cheese buyers in Taranaki during the past week. One factory in the Stratford district is reported to have turned down the buyer’s offer, and <riven his firm a chance to do business at 9jd and lOd for January and February production. One company closed at 9d for delivery in February, f.o b.. New Plymouth, and it is understood that the same firm closed with Ilawera and Eltham companies on p-actically the same basis. A Stratford district dairy company which has yearly consigned its products decided to sell part this year, and it is understood that on the first shipment alone the suppliers lost approximately £2OOO A Stratford district dairy company which has yearly consigned its products decided to sell part this year, and it is understood that on the first shipment alone the suppliers lost aDcroximatelv £2OOO.