SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THjL SOUTH. 295 



iMgan soon after to attract notice, and in 1835 and 1836 to excite tie attention even of foreign 

 manufacturers. From very small beginnings the extent of the perioJical auction salea 

 giTidually increased. An unprecedented number of 750 bales was announced for one seriei 

 of saies ill 1825 ; and for some years afterward 400 bales were considered to fomi a very ex- 

 tensive sale. But in July, 1835, 8,746 bales were brought forward, realizing for the better 

 qualities the considerable rates of from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 8d. per pound ; and at the sales of the 

 same month in 1844, there were exposed no less than 31,358 bales.* 



The celebrated wools of Australia are derived from two principal breeds of sheep, the 

 Merino and the Saxon. The fomier is the finest in quality, but it may be doubted if aa 

 adequate price ha;s been hitherto derived to compensate for the lighter weight of the fleece. 

 In the Sydney district, attention was chiefly bestowed on the Merino ; in Van Diemen's 

 Land, on the Saxon ; and the Port Philip district received a share of both, as the colonists 

 from either locality transported then- flocks to her pastures. This mixture of breeds was 

 still farther increased by jccasioiial crosses with the Leicester and South-Down. In fact, 

 from the numbers of inexperienced persons who entered on the occupation of sheep farming 

 in this new settlement, and, without any fixed principles, carried on a mere random system 

 of breeding, the gi-eater portion of the wool consists of every shade of quality that natural 

 accidents could produce. The abundant pasturage of Port Philip appeals also to affect the 

 pure Merino wool of the Sydney district, which in the former locality acquiies a more open 

 appearance, loses somewhat of its fineness, and increases about a quarter or half a pound in 

 the weight of the fleece. The average weight of the good qualities of Port Philip fleeces, 

 after washing, is from 2.^ to 2| lbs. ; of the Sydney fleeces about 2| lbs. There has been 

 for several years a desire to introduce a greater uniformity of quality in the fleeces of each 

 particular grower, and on the whole an inclination to adher« to the production of the finer 

 qualities of wool. 



[ Here follow details of the Australian method of washing and other preparRtions for shearirig, which are 

 omitted, as they conform in every important particular to the directions laid down in these Letters for 

 those processes.] 



The wool is now ready to be packed and dispatched to the port of shipment. Each fleece 

 is cleared of the locks and clippings or other unseemly portions, and is usually tied with a 

 piece of string, and tightly squeezed into bags containing about one hundred each, or from two 

 hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds weight. The ponderous bullock dray is now yoked 

 to ita team of eight or a dozen oxen, and chaiged with an ample load of the golden fleece, is 

 dispatched from the station on its annual and proliacted mission to the port of shipment. 



The wool on its arrival in town is now generally classed and re-packed at an estabhshment 

 for that purpose, unless this process has already been competently perfonned at the station.— 

 The classification distinguishes only the entire fleece ; it is not attempted to proceed to a 

 minuter distinction of qualities by breaking the fleeces. When intended for sale, the wool, 

 on its arrival in town, is conveniently exhibited in the various bins of the sorting estab'ish 

 ment, and its quality and condition are fairly ascertained. At the establishment of the Messrs. 

 Bakewell, in Melbourne, the wool is assorted first into the two leading divisions of clothing 

 and combing, and each of these descriptions is run out into five qualities, the fifth or lowest 

 being the coarse Leicester breeds. Extra fine lots are classed by themselves ; super-^reai^y, 

 or kempy, or other defective fleeces, are also classed apart. The charge <br sorting is j.l. per 

 pound. The usual charge for hand-washing is Id. per pound on the weigni returned, and for 

 scouring Id. to l^d. per pound. The system of re-pa^;king is also of use in exposing any wet 

 c»r damp that the wool may have acquired on the way from the interior, in which condition it 

 is in danger of heating and even of originating fire in the hold of a vessel during a lengthened 

 ▼oyage. 



The shipping season for the Australian staple commences toward the end of October ; but 

 only a few solitary drays have succeeded in reaching town during that month. Con.sidera- 

 ble quantities have atrived by the end of November; and during the two succeeding months 

 there is a continuous succession of vehicles pouring with their voluminous loads into the various 

 ports of the district.t These an ivals begin to fall off" in February ; but during that and the 

 two succeeding months considerable quantities continue to be shipped, including the later shoro 

 fleeces of the young lambs. The shipment of other exports, which are comparatively of un- 

 important amount, terminates with that of the wool. A solilaiy vessel may linger till July or 

 August, when the transactions of the season are finally closed. 



The following from a late number oi the Sydney Herald may be well appended to the 

 above : 



* This included a small quantity of foreign wool. The propordon from Australia and Van Dicmcn'a 

 Luivd on this occasion was 26,134 bales. The early sales were held at Garraway's, and continued ther* 

 &om IfciT to 1843. when the locality was transfened to the Hall of Commerce, where they Btill continue 

 The first bale at the first sale, from the novelty of the circumstunce, realized lOs. fid. per pound. 



[Mark Line Exj ress, 7th, 1 kh, and 2l8t Oct. ]^44. 



t There o'e five sbijipiDji pjrts Id Ausr(>.ia Fe'ix ; n'ir,el' , A elbourie, or its p in of W illiamstowi, Gee 

 !oilg Pur'-and Bel''«8t, f jd j'on A.bert jt All-,«!iton, .o (iipps's Land. The quantity for the present year 

 (1847) maj be egiimated at «uout S&.OOO bales, of which five-sixths are shipped at Willianistowij and 

 Oeeloug. 



