228 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



1873, and 3,750,212 in 1872 ; the shipments in 1876 were 5,887,979 pounds; 

 in 1875, 3,750,518. 



The range of prices per pound of wool of all grades at the beginning 

 of each month of the last six years was as follows : 



Months. 



January 



February 



March 



April 



May 



Juno 



July j 41 to 64 



August I 42 to 60 



Cents. 

 30 to 48 

 30 to 4S 

 3-2 to 51 

 33 to 51 

 33 to 53 

 27 to 58 



September. 

 October 



November . 

 December . 



42 to 68i 



43 to 69 

 42 to 70 

 42 to 68 



Centa. 

 20 to 52 

 20 to 46 

 •-0 to 46 

 20 to 48J 

 2K to 45 



26 to 37 



27 to 37J 

 20 to 36 

 20 to 3<j 

 24 to 4tl 

 24 to 40 

 24 to 40 



The stock of wool left over at the close of 1870 was 460,000 pounds, 

 of which 275,000 pounds M-ero from Colorado and Xevf Mexico, 25,000 

 pounds unwashed Texas, 90,000 pounds of other unwashed, tub- washed 

 45,000 pounds, pulled 25,000 pounds. 



The wool business of Saint Louis is mostly on a cash basis. Eegular 

 connections with mills in the East have been established, and arrange- 

 ments have been made for keeping stocks for the constant supply of 

 western mills, which are annually depending more and more upon the 

 Saint Louis market for supplies. Dealers encourage the marketing of 

 unwashed wool. 



iiwine. — The receipts of 1876 were 877,160 head, an increase of nearly 

 40 per cent, over 1875, but still below the maximum receipts of 1874. 

 The shipments were 232,870 head, an increase of over 80 per Cent, com- 

 pared with 1875, though but little over half of -Wie aggregate of 1874. 

 The receipts of the last twelve years were as follows : 1805, 99,003 ; 1806, 

 217,622; 1807, 298,241; 1808, 301,500; 1809, 344.848; 1870, 310,850; 

 1871, 033,370 ; 1872, 759,070; 1873, 973,512; 1874, 1,126,580; 1875, 628,509; 

 1870, 877,160. Shipments for the same twelve years : 1805, 17,809 ; 1800, 

 13,305; 1867, 28,627; 1808, 16,277; 1869, 39,070; 1870, 17,150; 1871, 

 113,913; 1872, 188,700; 1873, 224,873; 1874, 453,710; 1875, 120,729; 

 1870, 232,876. Over two-thirds of the supply of 1876 was from Mis- 

 souri and the regions west and south. A iarge adjacent section of 

 Illinois on the east contributed considerable numbers, with a few from the 

 north. Of the shipments, all were sent eastward by rail excejit about 2 

 per cent., which were taken mostly to local points near Saint Louis. A 

 few were shipped southward. 



