South African Produce on the Oversea Market. 89 



were largely made up of secondary grades and damages. Heavy and 

 medium weights of Western Province origin advanced about 2d. per 

 lb., and on light and extra light the gain may be put at 5 per cent. 

 In "dry damages" and bastard skins there was no appreciable 

 change. The few sales of Eastern Province skins afforded little or no 

 indication of the market, and brokers regard values in this category 

 as nominally unchanged to a fraction higher for good selections. 



Angora Skins. — On the same occasion 180,066 Cape Angora skins 

 were offered and 29.221 sold. On the whole there is no change in 

 prices to report, and inquiry was again much restricted; a slight 

 advance was secured for a line of Algoa Bay skins of " light " selec- 

 tion, and a fair number of " clips " changed hands at quite firm 

 rates. 



Cape Sheepskins. — Cape sheepskins auctions were held on the 

 14th January, when 137,974 Cape sheepskins were offered, and 76,011 

 sold. The collection was not very attractive, the supplv of really good 

 skins with full-grown wool being on a small scale. There was only a 

 moderate attendance of buyers. Combing wools of the best kinds sold 

 at Id. per lb. over the rates nding at last auction. Long wools, 

 particularly when on the short side, were frenuentlv Id. per lb. lower. 

 Short wools, also, were in most cases reduced in value to a like extent, 

 and shorn were by no means in demand. Full-wooUed lambs sold 

 without change. Damaged combings and long wools were usually 

 Id. per lb. lower. Damaged short were in small request, nor was 

 there much interest shown for damaged shorn. 



Coarse-woolled sheepskins secured rather better competition, but 

 on the whole were unchanged. 



Of 57,428 Common Cape (Glovers) sheepskins offered, 18,862 were 

 sold. The standard selections of large and medium skins were mainly 

 represented by Mossel Bav product, and for these an advance was 

 obtained of about 15s. to 20s. per dozen over the prices ruling in the 

 November auction. Bye sorts were in poor request. 



Wafile BarJi. — The market of late has been fairlv active, and 

 chopped is to-day worth £22. 10s. per ton c.i.f., whilst ground is 

 ruling at £22. 15s. The demand from the Continent is decidedly 

 weaker owing' to the recent arrival of large direct shipments. 



Ostrich Feathers. — Ostrich feather auctions were held at the 

 Mincing Lone Saleroom on the 2nd and 8vd instant, when 2212 lots 

 were catalogued, the weight being 98.600 lb. as against 84,000 lb. 

 in September last. Several parcels had certain limits put upon them, 

 which were somewhat higher than present values, and, as a result, 

 withdrawals were frequent. Only about 1000 lots were sold, realizing 

 approximately £100,000. There was a good attendance of buvers, and 

 France and America appeared to take a large proportion of the goods 

 sold, but the Home trade was quiet. Although this was the first sale 

 held since September, 1919, the demand was not up to expectations. 

 It is thought that the heavy depreciation on certain of the foreign 

 exchanges, coupled with delays in transport, may have largely con- 

 tributed to the limited demand, and in order to help buyers the 

 brokers have decided to postpone the next sale until the 3rd May. 



Beef. — During January certain small parcels of South African 

 beef were placed on Smithiield market, and, on the whole, the condi- 

 tion has been satisfactory. Whilst the meat generally may be 



