474 



Wool Prices in 1899. 



These data make it appear that as regards merino wools 

 the recent advance from the lowest point of depression in 1895 

 amounts to over 100 per cent., and almost restores the level 

 of 1880. The recovery in cross-bred wools has been naturally 

 smaller, being about 50 per cent, for the best, under 30 per 

 cent, for the medium, and less than 10 per cent, for the coarser 

 class. 



Limited therefore in extent as these changes are, they are 

 none the less significant of movements which our own sheep 

 farmers cannot afford to ignore. Year by year since 1894 

 our statistics have indicated the material reduction in 

 the large flocks of Australasia under the influence of repeated 

 droughts. In less than a quarter of a century these British 

 colonies had raised their sheep stock from 51,000,000 to 

 124,000,000 in 1 89 1, but very soon after that date a 

 material shrinkage set in, leaving the total little, if at all, 

 over 100,000,000 at the latest date. This has been in some 

 measure reflected in diminished imports from these colonies, 

 our total receipts from Australia last year falling to 

 427,000,000 lbs., compared with 448,000,000 lbs. in 1898, and 

 with an average of 503,ooo,ooolbs. in the four preceding years. 



The recently growing South American supplies and those 

 from the Cape have both also shown some check in 1899 as 

 compared with 1898 ; while still more important than the 

 smaller volume of recent arrivals from the countries which 

 have been the source of our meiino imports has been the 

 steadily continuous change in their character, owing to the 

 displacement of the pure merino breeds by the heavier cross- 

 bred varieties of sheep better adapted for mutton production. 

 The Bradford Observer adopts the following significant 

 estimates of the proportion of merino to cross-bred sheep in 

 the Colonies and the River Plate at the undermentioned 

 dates : — 



Cross-bred. Merino. 



1888 177 percent. 82*3 per cent. 



1892 19-6 ,, 80*4 „ 



l8 97 - - - - - 39*6 „ „ 60-4 ,, „ 



l8 9 8 44'6 „ „ 55"4 „ » 



The effect of these more or less gradual changes, how- 

 ever, hardly appears to have been adequately appreciated 



