THE NEW WOOL SEASON

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1687, 17 November 1925, Page 7

THE NEW WOOL SEASON

OUTLOOK FOB. THE GROWERS

STEADY .MARKET ANTICIPATED

The first wool sale of the new season in Auckland will be held in November 27 and the catalogues will close on November 21. Dates for the later sales have been provisionally fixed, the second for February 19 and the third for March 24. The first of the new series of sales in the Dominion will be held at Wellington on November 16. Then will follow Napier, on November 20, and Wanganui, four days later. Shearing in the various districts has been retarded this season owing to frequent rains, but the fine weather experienced recently has provided a welcome opportunity for the sheep farmers to complete l their operations says a writer in the Herald. Wool is now being received in the stores for the first sale and should come to hand in increasing volume until the catalogue closes. Growers who are anxious to catch the first sale should bear in mind the fact umt the date for closing the catalogues has been extended to the utmost limit, it being recognised that the season is later than usual owing to wet weather. Another matter emphasised by the brokers is that space for wool cannct be reserved in the catalogues. The wool is catalogued as it comes to hand and cannot be included from specifications alone. The Wool coming forward is openingup well. It is fairly light in condition and generally is free from seed. It was considered likely that the quality of the clips this season would be more or less affected by the wet winter and early spring, but it is expected that the wool will be equal in quality to that offered at last season’s sales. Experts state that the quality of wool produced in Auckland continues to improve. Sheep farmers are beginning to realise that to make a success of wool growing they must pay attention to breeding. Although a large proportion of the wool still comes under the heading of medium to coarse there is a growingpercentage of fine Romneys. There is also a noticable quantity of RomneyCorriedale and Romney-Southdown. Auckland wools are also improving in condition, the proportion of bright lustrous clips being much greater than was the case a few years ago. In addition the preparation of the clips for marketing is showing some improvement each year and reclassing is beingundertaken to a much greater extent than previously. The new season’s prospects are considered by those intimately associated with the industry to be good. Nothing like the boom prices realised at the first sale of last season arei anticipated, but there is a feeling of steady confidence that payable prices will be realised. “The market for tops in England is keen at present,” said an expert, “ and I would sooner see it keep than high. In such a condition it is always more consistent, and present indications are that a reasonably good season will be experienced. When it is remembered that two or three seasons ago an average clip was selling at Sd. to Is. per lb. growers should be satisfied if they get 14d to 16d this seas'on.”

The offerings at the first Auckland sale this year are not expected to reach the record of the first sale last season when 18,834 bales were catalogued. The average offering of the first sale is in thei vicinity of 12,000 bales, and this year it is expected that conditions at the initial fixtures will be normal.