COMMERCIAL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1801, 6 December 1862, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Business during the past week has been quiet, though the fact that the wool season is now fairly commenced has given a slight impetus to trade. There has only been one sale by public auction i of any importance. On Thursday last, Messrs. Johnston & Co, offered lat public auction, the cargo of the schooner Trader, from the Mauritius. There was a full attendance. Prices ranged from j£2l for rations, to £39 for crystals. There was a fair competition for the latter quality ; but a considerable quantity of the lower qualities was withdrawn. Mr Duncan officiated as auctioneer . A quantity of wool has been brought in from the stations on the coast, and the interior. The Asterope is fast filling up, and the wool is arriving as quickly as she can stow it. The schooner City of Nelson arrived here on Tuesday last, from Nelson, with a full cargo of' chrome ore, to be taken as ballast in the Asterope. The threemasted schooner Rifleman sailed yesterday with a cargo of cattle for Port Cooper. We understand ahe will make several trips from thiß Port to Lyttelton. We would earnestly direct the nttention of sheep fanners to the following extract, from Helrauth Schwartze's wool price current, of the Bth Sept. Of late, it appears, there has been a disposition to change the character of the wool grown in the Australian Colonies, by ci'ossing the merino witli the Leicester, thereby sacrificing the quality of the wool for the sake of the carcass. Messrs. Schwartze deprecate this system, as being inimicable to the interests of the sheep farmer, and calculated to depreciate the character and value of the wool in the home market. Messrs Schwartze remark : — " Sydneys and Port Phillips were greatly deteriorated in every respect. Of Sydney's, an exceedingly limited number of flocks were free from faults, but the generality was lower in breed — altogether inferior to former clips. Port Phillip's show against a marked decrease of well-bred wools a very considerable increase in burrs and moits and a further progress in the injudicious crossing with Leicesters. " Already in report on May-June sales, attention of growers was directed to this decline. The matter is now getting serious, and perseverance in that downward course will certainly endanger the position of Australian wool in European markets. " It is a well-known fact, that the introduction of merino blood made Australian wool the ma terial which suited English as well as French and German buyers in quality. Such introduction, however, to have lasting results, must be systematical and continued, till a character of" the flocks will have been established, which will really be fixed sufficiently for transmission and propogation. The celebrated flocks of Saxony and Silesia ofl'er for this purpose the most, — perhaps for the peculiarities of Australian soil and climate — the only elegible material. Crossing with Leicesters produces, instead of a generally useful wool, a speciality fitted only for a certain market, limits the competition, and aa the supply increases, must reduce the price, " Merino blood, and Merino blood alone, will in the long run pay the Australian grower. " The condition depends to a great extent on the season, but there is much left still for the grower in ' careful classification, washing and packing. Many manufacturers will not even look at burr, and moity wool, and want of attention in this respect will always have to be paid for by loss in price. " The quantity of low wool offered was very limited, but the attendance of buyers unusually large, and competition, therefore, extremely spirited. The advance on last live rpool sales is Id to ljd on all sorts."