100 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



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can be materially changed without making a serious defect in 

 the staple ; and as the value of this wool depends very much 

 upon the strength of the staple, farmers who keep this class of 

 sheep ought never to let them fall off in condition. Farmers in 

 this section, and in almost every other part of the United States, 

 who keep the long wool sheep, make a serious mistake in allow- 

 ing their sheep to run down in condition in the fall and winter. 

 This makes a weak place in the staple, which is a serious draw- 

 back to its usefulness. How can the farmer expect very valu- 

 able wool from ewes who produce a large number of lambs ? 

 Farmers love to boast of their lambs and the number they sell 

 to butcher. This, however, is generally done at the expense 

 of the wool. The farmer ought always to bear this in mind — 

 that in raising this class of sheep he has three objects in view, 

 and not one. These sheep are intended for mutton, lambs and 

 wool ; but when we speak to our farmers about their sheep, they 

 always tell us about their lambs ; never say anything about 

 wool, unless asked ; and as for mutton, why, you might infer 

 from their silence on the matter that they had yet to learn that 

 there was such an article of diet. 



Some of our farmers are beginning to think that there is a 

 plethora of wool, and there are others who are favoring such an 

 idea ; but it is certainly a most erroneous one. The production 

 of wool is far from being equal to the consumption. The 

 imports of wool at New York alone, the present year, up to the 

 25th of August, have been 82,148,082 pounds, while for the whole 

 year of 1865 there were at the same port but 33,354,849 pounds ; 

 while in I860, when the wool produced in the United States was 

 about half what it now is, the imports into the whole country 

 were but 20,000,000 pounds. From Canada we import over 

 2,000,000 pounds of combing wool, and one of our largest man- 

 ufacturing establishments has been purchasing largely in England 

 the present year. Our farmers will readily perceive that with 

 all the increase of production it has not kept pace with the con- 

 sumption, for to-day we are more indebted to the foreigner for 

 wool than we were in 18ti0. 



There is another point to which we desire to call the attention 

 of the farmer, and that is,- the increased demand for mutton. A 

 few years ago the taverns were few which placed mutton on 

 their bills of fare, and in private families it seldom graced the 



