THE FARMER.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 514, 1 May 1880, Page 2

THE FARMER.

RISE IN WOOL. English cablegrams furnish good news. It would now seem certain that the revival of trade was not a mere “ Hash in the pan,” but marked the commencement of a period of progressive activity. The new series of wool sales more than fulfil expectations of prices being maintained, for greasy wool realised a penny per lb and washed and scoured 1 .Vcl per lb higher than the rates of the previous series. Commenting on tire rise in Australian wool, the Homo News of February 2G, says “ The trade in woollens is looking up, and the mills at Bradford and thereabouts are once, more •busy. This is one explanation of the sudden rise'in the price of wools. There has been much eagerness and activity apparent at the recent wool sales in London crowds of buyers, animated competition, with enhanced prices as the natural result. Thus all wool show an improvement of 10 to 12 per cent, upon the sales of last November and December ; while in ftlio so-called South Auotialitui fleeces the improvement in price has risen as high as 30 or 40 per cent. Another probable reason for this rise, over and above the revival of trade, is the comparative failure of homo grown wool. Last year's bad weather had a very damaging effect upon English sheep. In Lincolnshire whole flecks were lost, and in other parts the heavy and eontinons rains wore no less injurious. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. Australian woolgroweis rejoice, while tho English farmers arc in despair. EXPORTING DAIRY PRODUCE. It is to be hoped that the companies which may be called into existence by tiie success of the Btrathleven experiment will not confine themselves to meat export alone. Dairy produce should form a very large item of export during certain seasons. The butter, shipped by the Strathl.even, commanded wholesale 134 d.per lb., even though a trifle too salt to suit the general run of London buyers. This fault, can bo remedied. Wo know that the butter can be transmitted sweet to its destination, can readily be obviated, and ‘‘ prime butter ” should be obtainable in any quantity in Now Zealand during the spring. Again, there is no reason why a profitable trade in potatoes and onions might not be done if the refrigeiating proce-s could bo applied to a limited extent to this class of provisions. When the first glut of the potato season co<nes in, tho prices obtainable in New Zealand will hardly compensate the grower, and yet in Loudon in April and May they are as ,a rule worth from £G to £l2 per ton. "Surely"there : s "margin sufficient between the 40s and,‘6os potatoes sell.for here at the height of the supply to warrant the, experiment being made at some future time. America ships her apples to Europe annually by tons, and they have to compete with the home grown ; and so with the grapes of Spain and Portugal. New Zealand is in a position to supply these fruits at a time when she will have no competition, and a financial success would seem assured. .