NEW ZEALAND WOOL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19439, 27 October 1925, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND WOOL

A SUPERB SELECTION. FINEST EVER SEEN IN LONDON. Of the wools recently offered at the London sales a considerable quantity was put forward by speculators, and the selection of New Zealand greasy fleece was the best seen in London for over a year, particularly in fine qualities (declares a writer in the ‘ ‘ Manchester Guardian Commercial Weekly. ’ ’ These superior New Zealand halfbreds are usually in great demand for the South of Scotland by high-class manufacturers, but at this series, Alsace and Roubaix worsted spinners secured the bulk of them. Some of the lots, bred out of merinos, ranged up to 60’s in quality, though such clips are usually very heavy and would not yield more than 47 per cent. The lighter wools, bulk 58’s quality, yielding up to 63 or 64 per cent., made up to 28d at the beginning of the series, but fell away to 25d and 24d at the close.

There was the finest string of New Zealand Corriedalo ever seen in London, a speculator’s offering of 700 bales, bulk 58’s quality, warp length, yield 63 to 66 per cent., selling at up to 26d. A whole catalogue page of

such Corriedale wool has not been seen in London since B.A.W.R.A. cleared its stocks. In medium and low greasy wools the offerings were not so outstanding, but still were very good. Medium sorts were only in very moderate demand, but there seems to be a scarcity of 40’s and 36’s, and some of these made as much per greasy lb as 46’s and 48’s. If a farmer can grow both sorts equally well it will pay him to grow 36’s and 40’s over the next year or two, because ho is likely to clip a heavier fleece, and get just as much por lb for it owing to a general shortage of low qualities, as he would for 46’s, besides which there is a chance of a heavier carcase for mutton. The surprise of the series were the superior offerings of scoured New Zealand fleece wools, up to 44id being paid for perfectly white and free 58’s. Fifty-sixes made 39d and 40d, and even stained wools, if free, made within 4d a lb of these prices. These scoureds were fully 3d to 4d above what greasy wools bought in London would have cost, scoured and delivered at the mill, the price being paid for some peculiarity in the handle of wools scoured in New Zealand. If any farmers are doubtful about the sale of their greasy wool they might consider scouring if they have capital and wool production big enough to justify it. There is always a market for really tip-top scoured New Zealand crossbreds.