The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-04-28
The Present Conditinn Of the Wool
Trade.


AT this season of the year the condi-
ton of the wool trade is of peculiar
interest TO the wool grower, and he looks
with eagerness upon all movements of
the staple and its prospective future.
AS the financier daily watches the mar
ket quotations of Wall street, SO the
farmer, week by week, notes the varied
changes in the wool market. 1t WILDE
our endeaver in this article to give the
present and prospective condition of
market.
A slightly improved feeling may be
noted, especially in Boston. The pres
ent prices are about IN cen a pound
higher than last year. Tho most trust
worthy authorities believe that wool is
selling at the lowest point to be reached
the current year.
There has been quite u movement in
fine woods tho pact wool. O~d tha t-N"s
actors in Australian, Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania %1eeces, amounting to nearly q
million pounds, having been the largest
for a long time. The markets abroad
present a firm tone for fine woods. In
this country, a few weeks of active
trade would clear the markets of desira-
BILE grades. This has checked the down.
ward tendency of prices and impaired a
firmer feeling to holders for what wool
there is left. Prices, however, are likely
to. remain stationary at present, as any
little jog of activity has the effect of
stiiening prices, yet a slight advance
seems to cause accusation of buying on
the part of the manufacturers. Buyers
before the end of the aso may be
compelled to pay rather higher prices,
when stocks become so reduced and
desirable lots difficult to find, but the
unsatisfactory prices for some months
past have been rather discouragiug TO
the trade, and while willing to close up
old invoices at low prices, they will
also hesitate TO purchase new clips I'M
less there is a better margin to fail back
upon than last year. The new wool
that is now making an appearance at
San Francisco, Texas and Kentucky
opens at altogether too high figures and
no active movement may be looked for
at present or until prices reach a lower
figure. We cannot look.tor any impor-
tant information from abroad until the
opening of the next London sale on the
18th of May.
Intelligence from Kentucky reports
that buyers are Offering twenty-five
cents a pound, but buyers are not dis.
posed to operate at this figure. There is
still OH hand Of the old clip some 500, 900
pounds Kentucky and Missouri comb.
ing wool and it has been found impossi-
BILE to place It at a eatisfa"t"-r r-'~-
Mills using this wool have also q good
stock on hand. Another new clip will
not probably be SO active as in previous
years. The manufacturers are running
on a fine gra &c of wool, and the dull
state of the English market Is embar-
RAISING to the trade. Irish woods that
compete with Kentucky, can be import.
ed at 81 l-2 to 80 cents, and any extreme
prices for these woods now will turn
trade in that direction.
Average lots of southern California
wool can be bought in San Francisco
at eighteen cents and choice lots at
twenty-s six cents. New wool comes
forward slowly. The prices are be.
yond the reach of eastern buyers, as the
wool could not be resold in eastern
markets except at a loss. New wool,
however, always starts high at San
There is a flrmer feeling Ia Ohio and
Pennsylvania for both y and Xxx feeces,
and sales can be readily made at Al and
A. cents for COED average lots. Manu-
facturers, however, begin to feel that
fine ileeces are Just disappearing and
that at al early day it will be difficult
10 find a choice selection. Notwith-
standing the sales of wool in Boston,
from January to April 20, have been
upwards of $500, 900 pounds more than
for the corresponding period of 1881,
yet tho receipts during the same time
have increased in like proportion.
The quotations may be stated as fol-
lows: New England, washed combing
and d~elaine, 46a48c; unwashed, 2SaSO;
washed, medium fine, 44a45c; unwash-
ed medium fine 2SaSOc; washed me.
dunn coarse, 33a95c; unwashed medium
coarse, 22a25c; washed fine merino,
4Oa42c; unwashed fine merino, 28a29c;
washed fine heavy merino 95a37c: tub
washed, 40a4lc; superior pulled woods,
43a50c; Ohio and Pennsylvania aeeces,
y and AA, 42a44c; Michigan and Wis.
consin fieeces .4oa4lc, and unwashed and
understandable f%leeces, 28a3O.
These observation Of the present con-
dition of the wool trade been gathered
from intelligent and reliable sources
which we trust will provo of value and
interest to the Vermont wool grower.
There is nothing in connection with
this special department OF more impor-
lance at this season, when the harvest
is being gathered. We shall endeayer
10 lay before our readers, from time TO
time, articles of this character, and
hope to do what is in u power 10 pro.
mote the interests and improve the
rapidly increasing industry of sheep
breeding and wool growing.
DEATH OF DARWIN, THE SCIENTIST
Charles Il. Darwin, the great English
scientist, whose name is indissolubly