ANTHRACITE COAL TRADE FOR 1861 AND 1862. The following table exhibits the quantity of anthracite coal sent to market from the different regions in Pennsylvania, for the years 1861 and 1862. It will be seen that there is an increase of 314,948 tons in the amount sent to market this year over last year, and yet the price has risen from $4 to $8 per ton. Who can give the reason for this rise? It cannot be said that greenbacks are to blame for more than a small portion of it. Nor shall we again be told that the supply is short, for these figures tell a different story. Does the man live who can give us any good reason for the present exorbitant prices? IMPORTS OF FOREIGN WOOL AT NEW YORK. The Journal of Commerce gives the following carefully prepared statement of the imports of wool at New York for the last six months of the last year, giving the countries from whence it was imported, the number of bales, weight, and sworn custom-house value; also the total imports for the years 1860, 1861, and 1862. The trade in both foreign and domestic wool during the year just closed was unusually large and prosperous, the imports showing an increase of about two hundred per cent over either of the two years preceding. The domestic wool growers were slow sellers of the new clip, and thus realized very full prices; while the speculator or manufacturer who bought at high figures, as compared with last year, found that his investment had been a good one, the advance in foreign wool, on account of the advance in exchange, causing a relative improvement in domestic fleeces. The enormous increase in the consumption of wool by the army, caused the medium coarse grades of fleeces, suitable for army goods, to advance to prices considerably higher than fine fleeces would command early in the season; but as the army demand became satisfied, the attention of the trade was turned more particularly toward the regular consumptive demand, and an active inquiry sprang up for fine wools, which caused an advance in those grades, while medium and coarse fleeces, from comparative neglect, were left to assume their more natural quotations. The year 1863 opens with the wool trade of this country in a most prosperous condition, and we may congratulate the New York members of it that theirs is now the largest general market on this continent. IMPORTS OF FOREIGN WOOL AT NEW YORK DURING THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF 1862. WOOL MARKET AT BOSTON. In regard to the wool trade at Boston, the Boston Shipping List says that it has been very active, and a very large increase in the consumption of the article has taken place. The receipts of domestic show an increase of 33,703 bales over last year, and have been more than double the receipts of 1860, or any previous year in the history of the trade, an indication that the woolen mills in this vicinity have not been idle. The current rates for fleece wool in January last were from 48 @ 53 cents per pound, and moderate sales were made at these prices in January and February. In March, under the influence of a quiet market, prices gradually declined, and the bulk of the sales in April, May, and June were from 44 @ 50 cents per pound. Before the close of June there was considerable excitement in the new clip throughout the country. Manufacturers and speculators operated quite freely, and a large portion of the clip was bought up, mostly from 45 @ 50 cents per pound, higher prices than had been current for some months previous on the seaboard. Since that time the tendency of the market has been steadily upward, and the current rates the past two months, from 60 @ 70 cents per pound, are the highest of the year. The range of prices in 1861 was from 25 @ 534 cents per pound. Fine wools have lately been most sought after, and again command the outside prices, although the demand for army clothing has kept the desirable grades of coarse at very high figures during the year. The stock is estimated 3.000.000 pounds fleece and pulled, against 1,800,000 pounds in 1861, 2,000,000 pounds in 1860, and 2,500,000 pounds in 1859. The receipts have been as follows: The imports of foreign wool show a considerable increase over previ ous years. There has been a good demand for the article throughout the year, particularly during the past seven months, all desirable grades received selling readily at full prices. The imports of foreign wool have been as follows: The transactions in live stock during the last year have included 471,887 animals more than were reported in 1861. In beef cattle the gain has been 8,780 head; in hogs 505,172; but in cows, veals, sheep, and lambs the number is less of each. The average prices, as represented in the table below, do not vary largely from those we have reported for several years past, excepting for hogs, which are lower; this difference is owing largely to the enormous increase in receipts. The same political causes which diverted so large a portion of the pork business from the lower Mississippi Valley to this market, are unfortunately still in operation, and so long as a business is thus moving in unnatural channels, it must suffer to a greater or less extent. This prominent feature of the New York stock market is, however, becoming more permanent, and the packing done here, especially of English bacon, is steadily and largely increasing. In the quality of the cattle marketed here during the last year, we regret that we are not able to record any perceptible improvement; drovers and graziers seem to prefer the "penny wise and pound foolish" policy of sending poor stock to this market, and nothing but the hard knocks of experience will cause a reform. Table showing the monthly receipts of all kinds of stock during the year 1862, and the total receipts for each year commencing with 1858: October. 106,862 November.. December.. 19,449 1,737 366 2,712 54,250 5,232 30,054 475,306 1,105,754 Total, 1862...... 227,328 8,681 599,582 320,329 399,119 1858...... 164,636 26,651 10,160 32,645 450,027 551,474 The following table shows the routes by which beef cattle have come to this market during the years 1860 and 1862. To the Erie Railroad statements should be added at least three-fourths of the cattle received at Bergen: Cattle marketed at ALLERTON's Washington drove yards during the years 1859, 1860, 1861, and 1862, were received from the following States: |