THE LONDON DECEMBER WOOL SALES. [From the Maitland Mercury, April 13.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 498, 11 May 1850, Page 4

THE LONDON DECEMBER WOOL SALES. [From the Maitland Mercury, April 13.]

Messrs. Marsh & Edenborough state — " The result of the sales have been most satisfactory in everyway, and no doubt will be of essential benefit to the growers- The attendance of home and foreign buyers has never been so crowded, and prices throughout maintained the advance of fully 2d. per lb. on the October rates. Great preference is still given to all wools of good quality and character, proving the great advantage in paying increased attention to the getting up. Very many flocks offered on this occasion met with great approval, and were eagerly sought after. The only sales to take place before the arrival of the new clip will be in February, and the quantity left to be offered will be very trifling, say 10,000 bales." In addition to the opinion expressed by the' abovementioned gentlemen, we extract from Mr. H. P. Hughes circular of same date : — " The attendance of both home and foreign buyers was larger than at any former period throughout the season, with an accession of entirely new buyers from the Continent. " The biddings were animated throughout, and it being now pretty certain that but a very scanty supply can arrive before February sales, this small quantity, compared with that brought forward on former occasions, created much competition, and the whole readily found purchasers at Id. to 2d. per lb. over prices obtained at last sales, and some finer descriptions, of which there was but a limited supply, were even higher. The activity, as previously noticed, in our manufacturing districts continues unabated, and the trade in general appears in a healthy state. Fine Sydney flocks were much in demand, and realised very full prices. Port Phillip wool shows great improvement in quality and condition, and is evidently progressing in favour both with home and foreign buyers. All the combing flocks sold at the full advance. Swan River wool was about an average in quality and condition of former years ; there is still much room for improvement in quality. New Zealand wool, being the residue of the clip, was but of an inferior class, and nothing equal to what has been previously offered during the year. South Australian, of which there was but little in the market, was of fair average quality, and sold well Cape wool, of which the sales containe.! a large proportion, shows some improvement in the getting up, and sold readily at the advance. Buenos Ayres wool, of which we had but a poor assortment, sold rather easier than former rates. East India was much sought after, and realised about £d. advance." Also, from Messrs. T. Southey & Son's circular: — " The attendance of buyers, both home and foreign, has been throughout the largest ever known, and the spirited biddings evinced an earnest desire on the part of every class of buyers to become purchasers. The advance paid on September-October sales may be quoted at Id. to 2d. per lb. which was most apparent in better combing and clothing wool. We rejoice we can state that Bradford has for some time past enjoyed a large share of the extensive trade now prevailing in Yorkshire, and the purchases for that town far exceeded the proportion of wool usually taken of late years. There was a very general assortment of descriptions ; — unfortunately on many previous occasions during the last two years some particular sort has pressed heavily on the market. Lambs' wool very little exceeded last sales prices. Skin wools sold well, but of these there were not many. Cape wool was in great request throughout the sales, and partook of the improved prices. We estimate the quantity of wool bought for foreign account at about 4,300 bales. East India wool may be quoted at a slight advance.