Wool and its Jjses. 
165 
Comparison op the Quantity op Foreign and Colonial Wool 
OP all Kinds impouted into this Country, and Exports op 
THE Same, with the Production of English Wool, during 
Twenty-two Years, in round figures.' 
Imports of foreign 
and colouial wool 
Exports of foreign 
anJ colonial wool 
Leaving of foreign 
and colonial wool 
for home con- 
sumption 
Home 
production 
ear 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
1867 
236,000,000 
91,000,000 
145,000,000 
157,000,000 
1867 
1868 
260,000,000 
105,000,000 
155,000,000 
166,000,000 
1868 
1869 
263,000,000 
117,000,000 
146,000,000 
156,000,000 
1869 
1870 
266.000,000 
93,000,000 
173,000,000 
150,000,000 
1870 
1871 
332,000,000 
135,000,000 
197,000,000 
145,000,000 
1871 
1872 
313,000,000 
138,000,000 
175,000,000 
156,000,000 
1872 
1873 
325,000,000 
123,000,000 
202,000,000 
165,000,000 
1873 
1874 
352,000,000 
144,000,000 
203,000,000 
167,000,000 
1874 
1875 
372,000,000 
172,000,000 
200,000,000 
162,000,000 
1875 
1876 
396,000,000 
173,000,000 
223,000,000 
156,000,000 
187G 
1877 
418,000,000 
187,000,000 
231,000,000 
152,000,000 
1877 
1878 
407,000,000 
199,000,000 
208,000,000 
152,000,000 
1878 
1879 
427,000,000 
243,000,000 
184,000,000 
153,000,000 
1879 
1880 
475,000,000 
237,000,000 
238,000,000 
149,000,000 
1880 
1881 
460,000,000 
265,000,000 
195,000,000 
139,000,000 
1881 
1882 
505,000,000 
263,000,000 
242,000,000 
129,000,000 
1882 
1883 
509,000,000 
277,000,000 
232,000,000 
128,000,000 
1883 
1884 
644,000,000 
277,000,000 
267,000,000 
132,000,000 
1884 
1885 
520,000,000 
268,000,000 
252,000,000 
136,000,000 
1885 
1886 
615,000,000 
310,000,000 
305,000,000 
136,000,000 
1886 
1887 
597,000,000 
319,000,000 
278,000,000 
134,000,000 
1887 
nS88 
650,000,000 
830,000,000 
320,000,000 
135,000,000 
n888 
It lias undoubtedly been considerably Helped in consumption 
by tlie fashion for soft goods which has now prevailed for some 
ten or fifteen years. Ladies' dresses nowadays are nearly all 
made of soft dull material, but it is not generally known that 
these goods are made entirely of colonial wool. The wearers of 
these fabrics, which are known by a variety of names, such as 
Beige, Foule, Cashmere, Nun's Veiling, Paramatta, Barrathea, 
Henrietta, Merino, &c., say they are " nicer " than the old- 
fashioned glaces and cords, which were made from English 
wool ; and so long as this is the feminine idea, English wool 
must occupy a second or third rate position. As has been said 
above, pure lustre wool is the only sort with which it does not 
compete ; and as pure lustre is out of fashion, this does not count 
for much. It will be easily seen that the difference is very great 
between the quantity of wool required for the dress trade and 
the quantity required for coat-linings and other subsidiary 
purposes. 
' This jjeriod is taken because 1 867 was the tirst year when reliable statistics 
of the growth of English wool were available. 
' The figures for 1888 are merely estimates of the probable quantities. 
