5 



THE HANDLING OF BRITISH WOOL FOR 

 MARKET. 



During the last twenty years a remarkable change has 

 taken place in the conditions which govern the course of the 

 British wool trade. In the early sixties light dress goods 

 were the principal articles of British manufacture. It was 

 desirable that the raw material for these should possess 

 length and lustre. There was a great and continuous 

 demand for such wools, lasting over many years, and it was 

 freely said by dealers that our own country did not produce 

 a sufficient supply of this article to meet the requirements 

 the trade. In consequence of this idea great efforts were 

 made on the part of such bodies as the Bradford Chamber of 

 Commerce to induce the Colonies to grow T long wool, and 

 large numbers of stud sheep were sent out, especially to 

 Australia, and crossed with merino sheep. The result 

 has been a great importation of what is known as crossbred 

 wool. Some notion of its influence can be obtained from 

 the subjoined table, showing the imports, exports, and con- 

 sumption of wool. 





Foreign and Colonial Wools. 



Domestic Woo 



s. 



1 



Total quantity 

 retained in the 

 United 

 Kingdom. 



Total 

 Imports. 



Re- 

 Exports. 



Balance 

 retained. 



Total clip 

 estimated. 



Exports. 



Balance 

 retained. 



Millions of lbs. 



Millions of lbs. 



Million lbs. 



i85«5 - 



98 



29 



69 



135 



16 



119 



188 



i860 



146 



31 



115 



140 





129 



244 



1865 



209 



82 



127 



I50 





141 



268 



1870 



259 



92 



167 



I -'.O 



I \ 



I 4 I 



308 



1875 - 



361 



172 



189 



162 



1 1 



151 



340 



1880 



461 



237 



224 



149 



% 



I32 



356 



1885 - 



50I 



267 



234 



136 





115 



357 



1890 



629 



340 



289 



138 



2 i 



119 



407 



1895 - 



771 



404 



367 



135 





113 



480 



1900 



553 



195 



358 



141 



25 



Il6 



474 



