152 Transactions of tiik 



present system of wool ^^ruwiii^j;, the r\\]> will decrease rather than 

 increase. Every year the extension of transportation facilities, renders 

 j)Ossihle the cultivation of land hitherto devoted to i)asturat(e,therel)y 

 making it too valuahle for raisinji sheep; of course ther«' is in the 

 Stale a }j;reat extent of territory which is only useful for j^ra/.in<i pur- 

 poses, and althf)uph the wool interest in the State will always be 

 ]>roininont it will, |)n)l)ably, for some time, fall still farther behind 

 the ;,'rain ])roduct in value and amount. If farmers could see that it 

 wa.>5 for their intere.st to diversify their production, and besides j^'row- 

 infrjirain have a few sheep the clip mi<;ht be increased in amount, 

 ami improved in other respects. The shrinkage in values from 

 which the whole coi.ntry has suffered, has been left to only a n)oder- 

 ate degree as yet in this State. Lands have been too high j)riced, and 

 wages have also been more than growers could afford. I'ntil these 

 items find thi-ir value we may expect to see a continuance of the 

 decline in i)roduction, because wool raising will be unprofitable. 

 Heretofore the proceeds fi-om the sale of fat sheej) formed a large |)art 

 of the income of the wool grower, but owing to the great nun)bcr 

 of sheep which are now offered for sale the price has declined to a 

 very low point comi)ared with that formerly ruling. 



As regards the market for their product wot)l growers have no 

 cause for complaint, as j>rices for ("alilornia wools show less shrink- 

 age, from what they were in eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, 

 than those grown in other i)arts of the United States, and when com- 

 pared with prices paid for other wools they are high, and the chances 

 are in favor of their declining. Choice Colonial wools were lately 

 sold in London at about thirty cents average. Cape at twenty cents, 

 and fair to inferior descriptions at low(>r rates; of course the net 

 results to the grower are somewhat less. Jn comi)arison with Colonial 

 wool at thirty cents even northern spring C'alifornia at twenty-five 

 cents is very dear, and between Cape wool at twenty cents and north- 

 ern laml)s' clip at eighteen cents, there can be only one o|)inion as to 

 which is the most desirable. The production of the Colonies and at 

 the Cai)e is increasing, while growers in California say they cannot 

 afford to raise wool at ))resent rates. Even in the more thickly 

 settled States, where growers are compelled to feed their sheep in 

 winter, the production is increasing, and also in Colorado and the 

 Territories. Eew, if any parts of the United States, have better 

 natural advantages for sheep raising, yet ai>parently California is 

 being crowded out of the business. The clii)s of the Territories is 

 increasing, and competes severely with tliat of California. Judging 

 from results the system of wool growing h(>re is wrong, but the 

 remedy we must leave to those who understand the business 

 l)ractically. 



The conditicni of the clij), as a whole, has beiMi ])oor. In the spring 

 there was a great deal of scabby wool, and owing to late rains a con- 

 siderable quantity was received in a wet and damage condition. 

 Contrary to general expectation the fall cli[) has l)e(Mi very i)Oor, in 

 fact the poorest for many years, being dusty, heavy, and short stapled. 

 Southern wools had more lift; than usual-, but contained more bur 

 and .seeds. From the extreme north, some wools were received 

 which were as good as they have ever been, but as a rule the eli|) was 

 very inferior. Still, throughout the year, wools have met with ready 

 sale, owing to the presence hero of many eastern buyers. In the 

 spring prices opened higher than was anticipated, and were main- 



