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THE FARMER'S MAGAZLXE. 



THE CAPE WOOLS. 



Tlio sheep -farmers of South Africa are at last be- 

 ginning to understand the impolicy of the course they 

 have so long pursued of shearing their sheep twice a- 

 year, instead of allowing the fleece to grow to a full 

 twelvemonth's staple, which would realize a much 

 better price in the home-market, and better meet the 

 requirements of the trade. 



Southern Africa is fast overtaking the Australian 

 colonies in the production of this valuable export; for 

 while the imports of the latter have been almost sta- 

 tionary or rather declining within the last six years, the 

 Cape has doubled its exports. In 1853 the total im- 

 ports of wool from the colonies were 177,207 bales, of 

 which 22,998 bales came from the Cape of Good Hope, 

 and the remainder from Australia and New Zealand. 

 Last year the total imports of colonial wool were 

 218,608 bales, of -which 56,032 were from the Cape, 

 against 152,576 from Australia. The Cape Colony and 

 its adjuncts now rank second on the list of exporters of 

 wool to this country, taking rank after Victoria, and 

 heading New South Wales, which used to send double 

 the amount received from Africa. A consideration of 

 these facts cannot fail to give importance, in the eyes of 

 the British public, to our South African colonies- 

 possessions which many Ministers have been disposed 

 to abandon as expensive and troublesome settlements : 

 and yet this productive development of important 

 staples — wool, skins, hides, tallow, wine, and grain — are 

 only in their infancy. 



A good supply of wool is essentially important to our 

 commercial greatness, and to the continued prosperity 

 of our woollen manufacturers. Already these are be- 

 ginning to complain of insufficient supplies ; and where, 

 but to our colonies, are we to look for increased quanti- 

 ties ? The large demands for wool for the continent, 

 for America, and other quarters, keep up prices ; and 

 the yearly progress in the production of wool is not so 

 largo as it might be if proper exertions were made. 

 With the exception of South Australia and New Zea- 

 land, our other southern settlements at the antipodes 

 are sending us less wool than they did a few years ago ; 

 and the total import last year of foreign and colonial 

 wool was much below that received in the previous year. 



Looking at the growing importance of the South 

 African wools, we are glad to see the wool-growers there 

 are alive to their own future interests in endeavouring 

 to improve the quality of tho staple so as to raise the 

 character of the Cape wools in the British market. 



Previous to 1833 the only sheep, with few exceptions, 

 to be found in the Cape Colony were the broad-tailed 

 Cape sheep, bearing no wool. But in that year a few 

 merino sheep were brought over from Australia by a 

 trading-vessel, and were found much superior to the 

 fat tails, and admirably suited to tho country. The 

 wool exported in 1833 was but 113,00011)8, ; now it ex- 

 ceeds 16,000,0001bs, 



Flocks of the purest-woollcd sheep — Cheviot, merino, 

 and other breeds— are now to be found in the grazing 

 districts of the Cape Colony, Natal, and the Tree Dutch 

 States; recently, too, the Angona goat has been intro- 

 duced, and is becoming a groat favourite. 



Our last files of Cape papers are full of instances of 

 the marked desire to retrieve tho character of their 

 wool, which has hitherto been considered of inferior 

 staple, and wanting in that peculiar fineness suitable for 

 many of the large manufacturers. The colonists are 

 importing valuable rams to improve their flocks, and it 

 seems quite a rivalry with the farmers who shall have 

 the best stock of rams ; but they have hitherto very 

 inconsiderately spoilt that they spent so much money 

 to accomplish, by clipping the wool when half grown. 



In one of the recent annual wool-circulars, Messrs. 

 Hughes and Ronald, speaking of Capo wools, obsei'vo : 

 " This description continues to gain in public estimation, 

 and these colonies are evidently destined to take a high 

 position, from their peculiar adaptability for the growth 

 of fine wools — particularly of fair useful qualities ; and 

 the extent to which it may be carried seems almost 

 without limit. The rising colony of Natal appears, in 

 particular, to offer a wide field to the enterprising 

 colonist, there being an abundance of open country, 

 well suited to pastoral purposes. A great portion of 

 Capo wool is open to the objection of being of a flimsy 

 character; to obviate this a constant and judicious in- 

 fusion of fresh blood is necessary; and if not available 

 in tho colony, no expense should be spared to procure 

 the same from Europe. The great demand here is now 

 for wool of strong fibre — a property that the Saxony 

 sheep possess over the French, and hence the introduc- 

 tion of the forner will be desirable. No species of wool 

 of immature growth ever attained this strength of 

 fibre, and is therefore unsuitod for the manufacture of 

 strong cloths, so much in demand for export." 



Although we doubt not the Saxony rams, now largely 

 imported into the Cape Colony, will be an advantage, 

 yet wo also consider the beautiful French breeds im- 

 ported by several of the sheep-farmers, will, if their 

 fleeces are allowed to grow to maturity, realize first- 

 class prices, do a credit to the importers, and retrieve 

 the character of the wool of the Eastern Province. 

 The short-wools, from Algoa Bay, are seldom looked 

 at, during the sales, until there is nothing else for tho 

 manufacturers to buy. 



The Fort Beaufort Agricultural Society assembled 

 recently a meeting of farmers, at JIadilon, for tlio pur-- 

 pose of discussing the best means of raising tho cha- 

 racter of the Eastern Province wools in tho homo- 

 market ; and although it was admitted that a sheep 

 shorn twice in the year will yield a gi-eater weight of 

 wool than it would if shorn only once a year, yet it 

 was shown that the wool was only of half the value. 

 The farmers present, after full discussion of the best 



