AN ENQUIRY. 15 



returns nor the ordinary official records give 

 statistics as to the prices of the British produc- 

 tion, but we find the Royal Commission stating 

 that there is reason to believe that the prices 

 of British pork have also decreased. In our 

 opinion, they have decreased very considerably, 

 judging from various enquiries we have made. 



Wool. 



Turning to wool, this used to be a very 

 important item with the British farmer, but there 

 is not a producer of it in the kingdom who would 

 hesitate to declare that the price has gone down 

 30 to 50 per cent, during the last twenty to 

 thirty years. The wool of black-faced ewes in 

 the sixties and seventies used to realise in the 

 North of England some lid. per lb. on the 

 average, but since that period it has gone down 

 to 6d. ; and this statement is also confirmed by 

 Scotch producers. Welsh wool, vrhich thirty 

 years ago realised Is. per lb., is now usually to 

 be obtained around 6d. to 8d. per lb. In the 

 "West of England — Devonshire — wool which 

 realised Is. to Is. Id. per lb. twenty to thirty 

 years ago, has fallen to from 6^d. to about 7d. 

 per lb. Lincoln wool, some of the best in the 

 kingdom, which thirty years ago realised from 

 Is. 5d. to Is. 9d. per lb., according to quality, 

 now realises about 9d. per lb. on the average. 

 Southdown wool has also declined in value 

 from 40 to 50 per cent, in the same period, 



