46 
COLONTAE' NOTES: 
Asout Woo..—The farmers of Canada are now busy clipping 
their sheep, and the wool season will be at its height by the 
middle of next week. In some localities new wool has already 
been brought into market, and the shearing is pretty generally 
over. But the farmers in these districts seem in no hurry to rush 
their wool into market. The prices offered by dealers up to the 
present period have not been very high; and there is a very 
general belief among farmers that present rates will be improved 
upon as the season advances. Whether these hopes will be rea- 
lized or not, depends very much upon circumstances. At present, 
the season is not sufficiently forward: to speak with much cer- 
tainty, and mere predictions are unsafe. Previous experience, 
however, has been such as would indicate some advance on the 
Opening prices, and we dare say the present year will not prove 
an exception, although we think no great rise may be looked for. 
The prospect is that the wool crop this year will be unusually 
large. In consequence of the good prices obtained of late years, 
farmers have been increasing the number of their sheep, and the 
clip of 1866, therefore, promises to be the largest we have ever 
sheared, Had it not been for the American duties, it is quite 
likely we would have got higher prices from the Americans this 
season than ever before for our long wools. As matters are, we 
have no reason to alter the opinion we expressed in an article 
some time ago, that the United States demand for our long wools 
is such that good prices will still be realized by our wool-growers. 
—“ Trade Review.” 
THE Fur Trapr.—The prices of fur have this spring ranged 
higher than ever we knew them before, on account of the biisk 
competition which arose from the presence of large St. Paul 
buyers. ‘There has been a very fair yield of all kinds of fur, with 
an excessive catch of one kind—the lynx. Of prairie fur 
especially there have been good returns, owing to the fact the 
Sioux traded principally with us, and not with the forts on the 
‘Missouri as formerly.—‘“‘ Nor-Wester.” 
VoyaGING COMMENCED.—AIl is now bustle and excitement in 
the neighbourhood of the town of Winnipeg, training horses, 
choosing oxen, mending carts, repairing canoes, everything and 
everybody getting ready for a trip somewhere—some for the 
Saskatchewan mines—some for the Rainy Lake mines, other for 
St. Paul. Boats, too, are being launched for their far-off trips to 
York, to the Long Portage, and to various places on Lake 
Winnipeg. Horses, oxen, and boats are:in good demand, 
showing that transportation will be as great, if not greater, this 
year than. ever.—‘ Nor-Wester.” 
