282 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



"A considerable portion of the wools shipped this year has been in 

 pressed bales, wcighin£f from five hundred to eight hundred pounds each, 

 the ordinary bales heretofore averaging from two hundred and fifty to 

 three hundred pounds each. 



"Of the entire export up to the j^ear eighteen hundred and fifty-six, 

 jn'obably nine tenths was of the native breed, originally poor enough, 

 and sent forward in such abominable condition as still further to depress 

 it in the estimation of dealers and manufacturers; and prejudices were 

 then formed against California wools from which they have not yet 

 recovered. The rapid increase of our exports of wool is beginning to 

 attract the notice of eastern manufacturers, and already California is 

 looked to for a respectable portion of the yearl}^ supply." 



PRESENT CONDITION OF WOOL GROWING. 



Sheep husbandry in California, under the stimulus of a commercial 

 demand for wool, has been attended with more than the success and 

 failure which usually accompanies the impetus given all new enterprises 

 by prospects of large gains, so attractive to every class of Americans. 

 In this State, however, the business of sheep husbandry has been mainly 

 conducted by two classes of persons — the capitalist, who invested his 

 money in large flocks, and residing in the city or town, gave no personal 

 care to them, but intrusted them to hired shepherds whose qualifications 

 w^ere not of a high order ; and those who commenced with limited means 

 and remained with their flocks, devoting all their abilities and increasing 

 profits to the business as a specialty. Few j)ersons engaged in cereal 

 farming have as yet entered into sheep rearing as a part of their opera- 

 tions. 



Short as the time has been since sheep husbandry, under the system' 

 of improved grades of wool, was commenced, it has been quite long 

 enough to discourage the capitalist who devoted nothing to the enter- 

 prise bat his mone}^, and it is probable that, at this time, nearly every 

 one of these has sold off' his flocks and abandoned the speculation in 

 disgust. This, however, should not be considered an unfavorable indica- 

 tion with reference to the climate and pasturage of the country for wool- 

 growing — it should be considered as in no wise discouraging. Those 

 persons who invested capital in large flocks of sheep and intrusted their 

 manaijement to ignorant, uninterested employes, argued that because 

 the ]\Iission Priests conducted sheep husbandry on a large scale with 

 stupid Indians as shepherds, there ought to be no failure where, at a 

 later daj-, a more intelligent race of people could be employed for this 

 purpose, overlooking the fact that the Mission Fathers lived in the midst 

 of their flocks, giving them their constant, watchful, intelligent oversight. 



The persons who alone have met with a hu*ge degree of success in 

 sheep husbandry in California are those commencing with a limited 

 number of sheep, or, by uniting personal superintendence with the 

 investment of capital, have followed the example of the padres, and 

 remained with tlieir flocks. The largest proprietors of pure merinoes in 

 the State can look back only a few brief 3'ears. when, with weary steps, 

 they followed their dozen or two of pure bloods from the rising to the 

 setting sun, camping in their midst at night in the solitude of M-ide 

 stretching prairie; and now they may sum up the results of their patient, 

 persevering eff'oris in flocks which will number tens of thousands. It is 

 doubtful, however, if the accretion of forty or fift}' thousand sheep in 

 the hands of a single proprietor is correct public agricultural economy, 



