The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1900. WOOL AND PRODUCE REPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 231, 24 November 1900, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1900. WOOL AND PRODUCE REPORT.

Wfi are indebted to the Bank of New Zealand for a copy of their London produce circular, dated 17th October. From it we gather that the fifth and final series of colonial wool sales of the _. J ALU /\-i._l rnL_ _-i

year opened on,9th October. The net available supply, as stated in last circular, amounted to 366,000 bales, which included 122,000 bales New Zealand. There was a very full attendance of buyers, those representing the Home trade bidding withconsiderable freedom, but the Continental section acted with great reserve. Values of merino wool are 10 to 15 per cent, below the closing rates of the July auctions; medium cross-breds are 7| to 10 per cent, cheaper, while coarse cross-breds show little or no change. Greasy descriptions of the latter sell better than scoured or slipes. Lamos' wool is |d to jd down. Unless Continental Duyers come moie freely to the assisoance of the market foL' merinos, it is very doubtful whether the Home trade will ba able to buy the quantity of these likely to be put up, even at the low level of values now cummt, but, on the other hand, if prices do not improve the probability is that a large portion of the available supply will again be carried forward. This might give temporary relief, but many people tbink bhat no permanent improvement can be looked for till the greater part of the old stock now in sellers' hands is taken off the market. Those who hold thia view recommend that owners should realise without delay, and thereby cleat the way for the new season's clip which is now arriving from Australia. Coarse cross-breds are meetiDg with a readj sale, and according to Bradford advices it is evident that the trade is not overstocked with these. The outlook foi them is therefore fairly promising, anc if it were not for the unsatisfactory position in regard to fine wools, a ris< in prices might confidently be lookec fur in the near future. The first serief of 1901 will commenceon 15th January the list of arrivals to close on 7tt January. No public auctions of sheep skins have taken place since the Ids report, current prices being 4|d to 6c per lb. for merinos, 5d to 6d for cross bred fine, and 4d to 5d for cross-brec coarse. Basils have advanced, anc best New Zealand are quoted a lid to Is Id per lb. In hides then is more activity, prices ranging fron 4jj-d to 4|d. Tallow is not quite si firm, current prices for New Zealanc mutton, good to fine, being 27s 6d ti 28s per cwt; beef, 27s to 28s per cwt The report continues : —ln place of tb damp foggy weather we generally havi at this time of the year, we are havinj it bright and dry, which is a great ad vintage to the meat trade generally For mutton (N.Z.) the demand i rather slow, but holders are not push ing sales, but rather holding their sup plies back, which, assisted by the smal shipments coming forward, keeps price; in an upward direction. As the ar rivals for some time to come an expected to be small, c.i.f. buyers ar: offering satisfactory prices for October November shipments. There is hardlj any demand for iamb, and only a ver< f'ow appear upon the marker daily Fore-quartets of beef are s.lling fairlj well, but hinds are not much wanted American chilled is in mod orate supply I lie prices quotes range from 3;Jcl t( i'A per lb for Canterbury mutton, aiu 3~M to -id fur Woilln-ton. Lamb 4,£ i to 4-J.i, and beef 3;jJ to ttd per lb New Xe.iknd wheat is quoted at 30 P<;f quinter, oats ? ; k 6d to 2i3s 6d For seoi thivo is a steady market at 2',< to 28s fur 10 to 121*1 seed avid Ms to SHs for 15 to 171b seed Nmv Zwi'aml flax lul-s recovered to th< extent of ■](>■ per ton and is nov selling at £l7 to Xl 9 per ton, Manih h .£3 per ton ilimyr than, at tha date d W report.

A NEW SHEEP. \.N importation which, if half that is :laimed for it be true, should (says the Hawke's Bay Herald), have a very important effect on our flocks, especially >n poor country, recently arrived in Auckland. It is a pen oi the " Tunis " jreed. Though quite unknown in this part of the world, the Tunis sheep seem to be attracting considerable attention in some of the American States at the present time, and are said to possess some very valuable qualities. Whilst their wool is of good character, a Tunis fleece weighing from 61b to 91b, American journals claim that the mutton is the finest in the market to-day. They are said to be the hardiest sheep in existence, and have never baen known to be affected by internal parasites. They produce lambs any month in the year, yielding two crops annually, are very deep milkers and most excellent mothers. They have beenknownto yield lambs when 16 years of age. But their most striking characteristic of all is their prepotency, for it is said that they transmit all their fine qualities, with unvarying certainty, to every other breed, including even the merino itself. The American Slieep Breeder, in a recent article, writes that they were originally an African, sheep-—" one of the ancient strains of the old race from which the merinos were descended, Their wool has some of the crimp of the merino fibre, and about thesame fineness, but it is so far different from it as to assure ub that it has a very ancient lineage behind it—and so much of it as to give prepotency in breeding it with different races. The broad back, the full loin, the heavy leg and shoulder, all tend this way; and these good mutton qualities are very conspicuous in its crosses. A careful examination of these sheep in the Chicago stock yards full; impresses us with these good points, and the strong vitality of this old breed, interbred without mixture in th« United States tor over a century, promises to leave a very distinct mark on the cross, which is unquestionably a fine mutton animal, and a very earl} maturing one—some half-bred Tunis lambs weighing 1151bs.atfive months.' They seem to thrive in any climatehot or cold. The history of the Tunii sheep in America, land of the circumstances which have kept them in the background for so many years, is saic to he full of interest, The pen whict came to New Zealand in the last tri| of the iMoana are not for sale. Th< enterprise is due to the Messrs, Willian Cooper and Nephews, Berkhamsted whose names are " household words' wherever sheep are kept. Conceiving the possibility of these sheep being c: great value to New Zealand for cross ing purposes, Messrs. Cooper scourec the United States for the finest speci mens which could be obtained, am shipped them to their agent in th colony, Mr. Henry Harrowel', Mana rewa, Auckland, where they will bi kept for experimental purposes, Ou

sheep-farmers ought to appreciate the 1 public epirit and the interest taken in their welfare, by the importers. No ,' doubt if these sheep prove a success others will quickly follow Messrs. Coopers' example.