HIGH PRICED MERINO WOOL.

Patea Mail, 26 June 1882, Page 3

HIGH PRICED MERINO WOOL.

The most marked feature in the reports of the late London wool sales has been the improvement in price of high-class merino wools, and particularly the extra superior clips of the Western district. Among these clips none is more favorably known than that of the Hon, Philip Russell, of Carnghara. The returns of this year’s clip show conclusively that this celebrated wool has maintained its high position in the estimation of European buyers. A lot of 114 bales of Carngham wool was sold at prices ranging from 3s o£d to as high as Bs 6£d per lb., the average of the 114 bales being 3s 2d per lb. In, reference to this wool, one of the best judges in Loudon writes : “ I do not think we have ever had the privilege of handling the Carngham wools in more perfect order and condition than this season. They are, in fact, simply perfection, and I do hot think although here and there, between lot and lot, microscopical differences occur, any fair criticism could be excited in the way of suggested improvement.” The fact that Mr Russell purchased a ram at the sale of the Stony Point stud flocks for £1,470, the highest price ever paid for a single ram in Australia, appears to have excited considerable surprise among wool-growers, most of whom judging by the quality and value of the clips, think that Mr Russell should be selling rams at very high prices instead of buying them. Had these gentlemen seen the splendid rams exhibited in the aged class at the last show of the Australasian Sheep Breeders’ Association, they would probably have been bonfirrried in their opinion.— Australasian.

A curious application of electricity is suggested by the display at the Electrical Exhibition at the Crystal Palace of a small breast pin, containing a crystal, which is illuminated by an incandescent carbon-thread fed with electricity from a Faure battery. It would apparently be possible to make a necklace, for instance, of cut crystal beads, to be illuminated from within, in this manner, and so to produce an effect far surpassing the most' brilliant diamonds.