THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



177 



lb. having been established, present rates must be quoted 

 tliat much higher than at this time last year. 



C.4PE Wools show but a triding improvement in priee ; 

 and the condition still leaves much to be desired. The 

 imports amount to upwards of 10,000 bags more than in 

 1809, wliieh year showed a considerable decrease as com- 

 pared with former years : however, this apparent falling off 

 was not owing to a real decrease in growth, as might have 

 been inferred from our last annual report, but chiefly to a 

 larger portion than usual having been exported to the 

 United States and other markets. 



Geeman. — The imports have again decreased, being 

 only about half the quantity of what was sent to this 

 country in 185i;i, which, owing to the disturbed state of 

 continental politics, was an unusuallj' large one. 



Spanish and Portugal. — The supply of tlie former has 

 been considerably larger than for some years past, con- 

 sisting, however, chiefly of unwashed and black wools, 

 ■wliicli are not of very current sale. The arrivals from 

 Oporto and Lisbon have been nearly double those of the 

 previous year, and four times as niucli as in 1858. Oporto 

 Fleece has been in good demand tliroughout the year, at 

 improving prices, and in a great measure as a substitute 

 for English wools, which are now comparatively higlicr 

 than for many years past, owing, no doubt, to the defi- 

 ciency in the clip, as well as to the increased demand eon- 

 sequent upon the late French tariS". The lower grades of 

 Oporto have also met with ready sale, at prices without 

 any material change. Lisbon, until recently, has been 

 rather slow of sale. 



United States. — The imports (of 3,180 bales) have 

 been principally the growth of Canada, of long-stapled de- 

 scription, and very well adapted to compete with English 

 wool. The getting-up and its condition have not been all 

 that could be desired : however, with a little more care 

 and attention on the part of growers, this class would be 

 found best suited to supply the increasing wants of our 

 domestic wools of this kind. 



Buenos Ayees. — Tlioi-e has again been a great fiiUing 

 ofl'in the imports ; but we have had a very good inquiry, 

 and our markets are quite bare of stock. The same ap- 

 plies to Cordova, the small parcels that liave come to hand 

 having found immediate buyers, at full rates. 



Peruvian and Alpaca. — The imports of Sheep's Wool 

 show a considerable decrease on those in 1859 ; and as 

 this description has been in active request, the arrivals 

 have met with immediate sale, at gradually improving and 

 comparatively high rates ; and stocks are, consequently, in 

 very narrow compass. Alpaca has arrived in larger 

 quantity than ever, the imports being 10,000 ballots in 

 excess of 1859. The demand has been principally for the 

 best qualities; and stocks have been light throughout 

 the year, as importers have met the demand by making, 

 fi-om time to time, considerable sales " for arrival." 



East India shows a very material increase in the im- 

 ports, which have almost exclusively been directed to tliis 

 port, and have formed the chief attraction at our public 

 sales during the year, of which we had four series, viz. : 



Belles. 



The 1st, from Jan. 25 to Feb. 3, with 14,847 



The 2nd, from April 18 to April 27, with 13,070 



The 3rd, from June 27 to July 4, with 10,557 



The 4th, from Sept. 19 to Sept. 20, with 18,500 



In all (East India) 50,534 



Prices have on the average been very well maintained, 

 whilst the condition of these wools, generally speaking, 

 Las not shown any marked improvement, and the ob- 

 sei-vations made on this subject in our two preceding 

 annual reports are therefore applicable to the year's im- 

 ports also. 



Russia. — There is a slight diminution iu the arrivals. 

 Donskoi Fleece has been in steady request during the year, 

 and the increased consumjjtion by our home trade, coupled 

 with a demand from the United States, has moved ofl:' all 

 the surplus stock, and the market is now comparatively 

 bare, whilst prices are, on the average, fuUy 5 per cent, 

 higher than at the same period last year. 



MeditepvEanean and Egyptian. — Very little of the former 

 has come to this country, the cost price at the shipping 

 ports leaving little, if auj-, chance of profit to importers. 



Egi/plian has experienced a very good demand, but as this 

 class is more or less influenced by the range of prices for 

 English Wool, it has participated iu fluctuation of value 

 in an equal degree. 



Turkey Goats' or Mohair. — There has been rather less 

 imported than in former years. During the first nine 

 months of the year the demand was very fair, prime parcels 

 commanding most attention, but for the last three months 

 there has not been much animation, and although no re- 

 duction can be quoted for really good wool, inferior parcels 

 could not be moved except at prices iu favour of buyers. 



Iceland. — The supply has been rather short, but, in 

 consequence of the high prices ruling for English Wools, 

 the arrivals have found ready buyers at full rates. 



B.\.EBAjiY. — The prohibition of exports having been with- 

 drawn by the Emperor of Morocco, as intimated in our 

 last year's report, there have again been large arrivals from 

 that quarter, amounting in all to about 9,000 bales, which 

 have been readily disposed of- at current rates, and stocks 

 are, consequently, but light. 



Tlie supply of Domestic Wools, owing to the circum- 

 stances alluded to in our general remarks, has been con- 

 siderably short of former years, and we may safely putthe 

 deficiency down as at least 15 per cent., when compared 

 with 1859. Upon to June last the trade continued to buy 

 with the greatest caution and only for immediate require- 

 ments, with the view of supplying themselves at clip-time 

 at moi-e moderate prices. In this, however, they were 

 disappointed, the wants of consumers being so pressing 

 that they were compelled to yield to the higli demands 

 made by growers, and a large portion of the clip conse- 

 quently passed into the hands of consumers and dealers at 

 high rates. Since then, however, the demand on the 

 whole has been sluggisli, owing, in a great measure, at first 

 to the bad haiTCSt prospects, and, subsequently, to the un- 

 settled state of monetary aflairs, and the political diffi- 

 culties in the United States, so that dealers have found it 

 hitherto very difficult to realize a jn'ofiton their early pur- 

 chases. Scotch : The stock otLaid lliijldand in this mar- 

 ket had become very much reduced at clip-time ; still con- 

 sumers and dealers, remembering the remunerative result 

 of their purchases at tlie fairs of the previous year, were 

 anxious to buy at prices which ])romised to leave them a 

 profit, and they succeeded at rather lower rates than last 

 time. Nevertheless, prices having not materially im- 

 proved since then, it has been quite as difficult to get a 

 profit as before. There has been an average consumption, 

 and before next clip the stocks are likely to be in a very 

 small compass. Laid Cheviot, of the best class, was 

 most in demand at the fairs, and principally taken by 

 manufacturers. 



The position of our market seems at present to be this : 

 There is an increase in the imports of wool, according to 

 the official trade returns, of 10 per cent., from which must 

 be deducted an increase in the exports of wool of 9 per 

 cent., thus leaving a net surplus of only 1 per cent.; 

 against this, however, there appears an increase in the 

 exports of manufactured woollen goods and yarns of 8 per 

 cent., which, added to the deficiency in the home-gi-owth 

 of 15 per cent., leaves the supply of wool 22 per cent, short 

 of that of 1859, 



The arrivals of Sheepskins have been inconsiderable. 

 Heavily woolled and good-conditioned parcels have com- 

 commanded very full prices, whilst short and light-woolled 

 skins have been more difficult to move. Stocks of all 

 kinds, however, are very low. 



Pv. W. EoN.VLD & Son. 



RUFF'S GUIDE TO THE TURF.— The establishment 

 of Ruff's Guide marked a new era in the history of the 

 Turf. " The standard " list of subscribers" to IVeathcrbi/ 

 was found no longer sufficient for those even directly in- 

 terested in the essentially " popular" pastime of the 

 country. To meet, then, the wants of a new class of 

 sportsmen, a new work had to be provided ; and this, for- 

 tunately, came with such a prestige as to ensure its au- 

 thority at once. The Guide, moreover, had especial re- 

 commendations of its own. Although small, it was 



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