A RECORD WOOL CLIP.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 130, 25 July 1911, Page 6

A RECORD WOOL CLIP.

ANNUAL REVIEW AND STATJSI ICS. Wo have received a copy of too ‘‘Annual Wool Review,” puohshod by Dalgety and Co., Ltd., which is now in its thirteenth year of issue, and shows every indication of having been carefully *vVitteu, while the statistics, always ci a \ aluuble nature, appear to be complete and comprehensive. There is much of interest in the publication, dealing not only with the past season, but with a number of current topics in connection with the pastoral industry.

The principal feature of the wool year has been that a record clip was shorn, the oversea expos bs haying amounted to 2,<108,750 bales ,an increase of 34,107 halos on the shipments of the previous twelve months. Owing to a slightly lower level of prices, the average per bale was £l2 xOs del, as compared with £l3 12s 2d in the preceding season; but even at this rate tiie value of the clip was a

little over £30,000,000. It is a fact worthy of notice that the 2,000,000 bales limit in exports was reached for the lust time in the year 1900-7, and that the-past year’s returns are nearly double those of 1903-4.

According to the ligurcs given, the flocks in Australia and Now Zealand now total a little over 110 millions, having increased during the past twelve mouths by a little over half a million head. A great number of sheep, lion over, are now depastured in Australasia than at any period during the past seventeen years, the previous record having been in 1894, when the figures reached a few under 125 millions. The increase during the past twelve months is considerably below that what had been expected, but is accounted for to a considerable extent by the very large numbers which have been slaughtered for export and home consumption.. A very high standard With respect to the cut per head lias now been reached, especially in regard to merinos, a fact which will be appreciated when it is stated that though there were many more sheep to shear twenty years ago, the clip shorn during the past season eclipses all previous records. As regards the future, the “Review” states that prospects for another bounteous season are encouraging, while the outlook, broadly speakings is distinctly good. Stocks of raw wool being everywhere normal, the trade practically enters upon the new season without being in any way encumbered. so that there scorns every probability of a satisfactory demand prevailing during the ensuing twelve months. Present wool values arc by no means excessive, in fact, are well below the average of the past fifty years, and are fully justified under existing trade conditions.