76 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



[Sept. 1894. 



extend? from April to June for merinos, and over June and 

 July for crossbreds. In ordinary seasons shearing commences 

 in the early districts in the beginning of September and con- 

 tinues to the end of the year, the bulk of the wool being shorn 

 in October and November. By the first week in October the 

 new season's clip is arriving freely in Melbourne and Geelong ; 

 the wool sales then begin, and are held almost daily until within 

 a couple of days of Christmas. They are usually resumed 

 during the second week in January, and continued until about 

 the end of February. From March to September inclusive, 

 small sales of oddments are held intermittently. 



The quantity of wool produced in Victoria during the year 

 1892 is estimated at 80,505,334 lbs., valued at 3,523,954/:. 

 These figures represent the excess of exports over imports during 

 the year, to which is added the quantity and value of wool used 

 in Victorian woollen mills. In the previous year the quantity 

 produced, similarly estimated, was 76,503,635 lbs., valued at 

 3,957,901^. 



The estimated average weight of a fleece of greasy wool 

 grown in Victoria is 5 J lbs. for merino, and 6 lbs. for crossbred 

 and longwool sheep ; the former varying from a maximum of 

 9| lbs. (which was averaged by a flock of 11,000) to a mini- 

 mum of 3 J lbs. ; and the latter from a maximum of 9 lbs. to a 

 minimum of 4^ lbs. 



The estimated loss in weight of Victorian grown wool in 

 scouring clean, fit for the manufacturer, is about 55 per cent, 

 (yield 45 per cent.) on merino, about 40 per cent, (yield 60 per 

 cent.) on crossbred, and about 30 per cent, (yield 70 per cent.) 

 on Lincolns and other longwools ; whilst the estimated loss in 

 weight for hot-water washed merino is about 16 per cent, (yield 

 84 per cent.), and for cold washed about 36 per cent, (yield 

 64 per cent.). 



The average price of Victorian wool in 1892, based upon its 

 declared value before leaving the Colony, as obtained from the 

 Customs returns of exports, was 9d. per lb. for greasy wool ; 

 14J(i. for scoured ; and 14J(i. for washed ; whilst the average for 

 the whole was 9|d, as against lOfd in 1891, not quite lOfd in 

 1890, nearly lO^din 1889, not quite lO^d. in 1888, nearly lOfd 

 in 1887, llfd in 1886 and 1885, and 12|d in 1884. There 

 was thus a fall in the price as compared with all the previous 

 years named — of 3Jd per lb. as compared with 1884, of Ifd per 

 lb. as compared with 1885 and 1886, and from |d to Id as 

 compared with other years. This would depreciate the wool 

 produced in Victoria during 1892 between 128,000^. and 841,000^. 

 as compared with the average price in the years immediately 

 preceding, by about 550,000^. as compared with the average price 

 in 1886 or 1885, and by over ],000,000^. as compared with the 

 price in 1884. 



