WOOL PROM SOUTH AMERICA.

Patea Mail, 28 August 1880, Page 3

WOOL PROM SOUTH AMERICA.

It has been more than once pointed out that the wool trade of Buenos Ayres, where there are upwards of one hundred million of sheep, might be made to take a foremost place on the London and American markets, where, in regard to certain descriptions, it might enter into competition with Australian and Cape wools. This idea seeems about to be put to a practical test, and an experiment, which will be watched with peculiar interest by stock-raisers, is the shipping of American merino sheep to the Argentine Republic by Mr W. G. Markham, a wellknown farmer, living near Rochester, New York. It appears that Mr Markham’s attention was drawn to the possible advantages of such a venture by the success which has attended the crossing with Mongolian stock of American merinos, 200 of which he recently took to Japan under a contract with that Government. The improvement in that instance is estimated as high as 400 per cent. With the view, then, of demonstrating the superiority of the American breed, Mr Markham has sent out to Buenos Ayres 16 of the finest merino rams that could be obtained in New York State. Already the stock-raisers of France and Germany have made large shipments of their choicest stock to the same market, so that the wool interest of Australia and New Zealand must look in the course of a few years to encounter a robust competition in this article from South America.

The defence of the Railway Commission by the Hon. Mr. Oliver was amusing. It amounted to this. “ Independent, able, Aenof high character these Commissioners, valuable their report, but I know better.” Of course Mr. Oliver does. —Echo