SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 4*^ 



low silks, but the cultivated European and American wear as a badge 

 of their highest civilization, the sombre-colored, unpretending, but 

 costly and durable broad-cloth coat. There seems to be a natural 

 congeniality between the fleece and the human skin. It was in 

 the very infancy of man that the sheep befriended his helpless 

 nakedness, and the covering worn so long, has become for him a 

 second nature. Physicians insist that nothing but flannel ought 

 to be worn next the body, as if every shirt of cotton was a 'Nessus' 

 shirt, poisoning the delicately organized system with the virus of 

 that great crime involved in its production. We need not fear, 

 therefore, any lessening in the world's demand for cloths, for as 

 it advances in wealth, it will require more and more of the richest 

 and best material for garments. 



The United States Census for 1860, shows how largely the 

 home consumption of wool has increased in ten years. From 1850 

 to 1860, the value of woolen and mixed goods manufactured in the 

 country rose from §45,281,1164 to $68,865,963, over 51 per cent.,* 

 and yet in the same period we imported about §.300,000,000 worth 

 of woolen goods, or about $30,000,000 per annum, and did not 

 export any manufactured woolens. In the same period we im- 

 ported foreign wools to the value of §34,110,150, and only 

 exported of unmanufactured wool, $1,562,502 worth. The wool- 

 grower can then see how large the demand for his products will 

 be likely to be for the next ten years, namely : for the supply of 

 $230,000,000 worth, the quantit}^ of wool of home growth con- 

 sumed, with such percentage added as the increased population 

 will require, and of $32,500,000 worth with a corresponding increase 

 to take the place of imported foreign wools, certainly not less 

 than $35,000,000 worth per annum. If it be said that this large 

 consumption cannot be relied upon for a permanent and certain mar- 

 ket, and that the prices received for wool by farmers for the last 

 ten years, has been constantly varying, and so often below the fair 

 cost of production, as to have driven thousands of farmers out of 

 the business of keeping sheep, the fact cannot be altogether 

 denied. The average price of wool in the Boston market for the 

 last 35 years has been 50 cents for fine, 42 cents for medium and 



*The amount of wool produced in the United States in 1850 was 52,514,959 lbs., 

 and in 1860,62,517,153. We may assume that the average production was 57,- 

 000,000 lbs. per annum, or 570,000,000 lbs. for ten years, which, at 40 cents per lb. 

 would be §23,000,000 worth. 



