THE WOOL CLIP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1497, 20 July 1912, Page 8

THE WOOL CLIP.

ANNUAL EEVIEW AND STATISTICS. A copy has como to hand of Daluety's Annual Wool Review for Australasia, for tho past season, published by Dalgety and Company, Limited, ythicU is now. in its fourteenth year of issue, and, as customary, appears to have been carefully wrtiten, while the statistics which relate :to the whole of tho Australasian sales are complete and comprehensive. • There are a number of interesting facts given in the publication, the most prominent, of .which probably, is that-tho value of the past season's wool production in Australia and New Zealand, for export, was 29} millions sterling, as compared : with 514 ,millibus sterling for the previous season, tho -difference in the value of tho two clips being accounted for the average value per bale in 1911-12 having been £11 16s. ■ 5d., and in 1910-11, £12 ICG. 4d. • ■ ■ ..

A RECORD . CLIP. As was forecasted in Dalgety's 'last year's Annual Review, tlio Australasian clip exceeded that of tho previous year, which stood at the high-water mark, and was above the general average of excellence. Actual oversea shipments of wool during the .past twelve months have amounted to 2,020,547 bales (or 662,845,9071b.) from the Commonwealth, and <93.i68. baics (or 169,915,9391b.) from' Now Zealand, a total of no less than 2,613,915 bales, or 832,761,6461b., valued' at £29,591,874. . . • ■■ ■ The total valucoof. tho 1>926.526. balos'-sold in Australasia, has - been £22,682,(90, as againet £23,345,602 in 1910-11. ■. ... ,

AUSTJ3ALASIAN ' SHEEP NUMBERS. Tho flocks in Australia, and New' Zealand now total 117,011,654, having increased since last year's returns .were' published by the comparatively small number of 977,481 head. Sheep numbers have ,rcmained practically stationary during the paet three years, but the figures are 'higher than during any period of the past 18 years, the previous record bavins been in 1891, when the total reached 124,591,920 head. The smallnof'3 of the increase in recent years is largely attributable to the very large numbers which have been slaughtered for export and local consumption, and it is significant that the opinion is genenrally held that sheep numbers were Prior to the drought, quite as high as could with safety be carried in normal seasons.

There has been, a general all round improvement in the larger flocks, and a very high standard has been reached, especially in respect' to merinos, a fact which will be appreciated when it is remembered that though there. were many more sheep to shear, say 20 years ago. the clip shorn during tho past- season cclilpscs all previous records, while . the. woightr cut per ftcad is greater than in any country in thr world without ajiy deterioration .in til wool, which comes an easy first, thbuil it may not be so fine in Quality as fa>merly. FUTURE PROSPECTS. As regards the future. Daiccty and Company, Limited, say that there are 6cvefal factors which are likely to have an important bearing on the course of the wool market during the ensuing twelve months, the first of these being the certainty of diminishing Australian wool production owing to the severe, though short, drought recently experienced throughout most of the wool-growing districts of the Commonwealth. Another is the great probability of a. revision of tho American wool tariff in favour of oversea -wool-growers, some pronouncement in respect to whioh may bo expected after the Presidential election in November next. The third is tho fact of favourable trade conditions generally, practically only affected at the present time by industrial troubles. Summing up the position, as it affects wool producers, they are of the opini™ that the ensuing Austrrfasian clip win come on. to a favpurable market, and that there will be a. strong demand from all sections of buyprs at prices showing an improvement on the rates in force in the past season. Tho clip as n. whole connot be caual, cither iii Quality or condition, to its predecessor, in addition to which It is inevitable that there will'be a, lighter cut -per sheep, so that the enhanced values which it scorns very lih«ly will rule should compensate growers to somo extent for the drawbacks which \rc fear -most graziers will" experience.

WOOL AND HIDE SALE. Messrs. Abraham and Williams'a report— Wo held our monthly sale at Palmcreton yesterday, and subjnittcd. a good ■ catalogue to a. fair attendance of' buyers Bidding for. wool and sldnss was brisk, and we have to .report a total clearance of the lots at prices well up to lite rates. For hides and sundries buyers were sloV, yet wo were able to clear the bulk of our offering under the hammer. Tho few pasiaed-in lots were all sold after the 6aJo Wool: Our entry comprised chicily crutchings of medium quality, which sold at 3Jd. to 6Jd.; crossbred, 7d. to 7id.; crossbred black and. pieces, 6d.; dead, 7}d.; lambs, 73d. Skins: Wo offered somo verv nice lines of butchers' sltins, and thev 6old as follow:—Crossbred medium, 2s. id. to 3s. lid. to 4s. 4d. to 6Jd.; dead, sjd.- ho"ects, 53d.; lambs. 4Jd. to 7jd.; black, 6d~calfskins. 7?d. per lb. to IOd.; calf, cut 6W • yearlings, 7Jd. to 7d.: ycarlinge; cut, fjd. Hides: Ox, 6Jd. to 78d.; cows, medium. 6d. to 6Jd.; light, fiid.; cows, slippy, 4d.; out 5(1.; heifers and steers, 6Jd. to 63d.; staee. 5Jd. Horse: Bs. 9d. Tallow: In casks. £26 per ton; in tins, £23 10s. per.tonj.drums. £23 10s. per ton. Fat: Tins and bags, 16s. 6d. per r.wt. Horse hair, Iβ. 7Jd. to Is. BJd. Cnw tails. Is. 6d.;- cow tails, washod, is. Bd. per dozon. •