140 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



cultural purposes, enough for the existing stock and a considerable in- 

 crease, but year by year these opportunities will become more rare until 

 tbe result indicated bas been attained. Through the southern counties 

 of this State large tracts of land can now be purchased, under Mexican 

 titles, at nominal prices. Through the northern coast counties and on 

 into Oregon and Washington Territory immense tracts of unoccupied 

 Government Lands are still open to whoever chooses to occupj^ them; 

 but through the central part of the State the ranges are very scarce 

 and largely overstocked. 



The great chain of mountains forming the eastern wall of the State, 

 it is thought by many, will be found most desirable for sheepwalks; but 

 owing to the great fall of snow to which they are subject, it is doubtful 

 if they will answer for anything more than summer pasturage, and for 

 this they will serve a most useful purpose. 



The advantages presented to wool growers in California may be briefly 

 summed up as follows : a mild, equable climate, eminently favorable to 

 the growth and health}?- development of sheep; cheap lands on which to 

 make permanent settlements, or, for the present, a sufficient amount of 

 unoccupied Public Lands, with little expense attending the keeping of 

 the flocks. 



Let us now look at the character of California wools, and the effect 

 upon them of the existing system of herding. The classifying of wool 

 for purposes of manufacture is based mainly on the relative coarseness 

 or fineness of the fibre, the distinctions in this respect determining what 

 is generally called its "quality;" but it should be understood that there 

 are other peculiarities affecting its value even more than the relative 

 Bize of its fibre; among the most important of these are length of staple, 

 uniform strength of the fibre throughout its entire length, softness, 

 lustre, and freedom from grease and dirt. 



In all these respects, which generally determine the value of any given 

 parcel of wool, our California product .is very low in the scale, and must 

 continue so until the whole system is greatly modified or radically 

 changed. 



The pernicious practice of fall-shearing effectually prevents the pro- 

 duction of a staple of desirable length, and were it not for another de- 

 fect, to which we shall soon allude, would be utterly objectionable. 



The general character of the fall clip is bad ; the wool is almost always 

 extremely short, generally very tender, and always dry and harsh. It 

 possesses none of the peculiar oil on which the " life" of the wool de- 

 pends, and is usually so light as to blow awa} T from before the cards, and 

 can only be worked by mixing in small proportion with spring wool. A 

 small proportion of the fall clip of lamb's wool is less open to objection, 

 but even this carries a harshness of fibre that makes it quite undesira- 

 ble. 



Intrinsically the fall wool is worth about thirty -three per cent less 

 than the spring clip, and beyond this it gives dealers a ground for objec- 

 tion against all California wool, thus indirectly prejudicing the entire 

 product. 



But even were the fleece kept entire through the year, though it might 

 meet the requirement as to length of staple, it would generally fail in 

 respect to strength, and measurably in respect to all other requisites. 

 It is well known that wool is composed of the same elements that go to 

 make up tbe bone, and blood, and fibre of the sheep. Hence the fact of 

 common observation that sheep kept in good condition always give the 

 heaviest fleeces. We quote the remarks of a writer on this subject 



