570 SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



$3. The Welsh plains, imported from England, weigh usually not far from 

 13 ounces per yard, and cost from 65 to 70 cents ; and the Chelmsfords, 

 a heavy, coarse article, from Massachusetts, from 50 to 58 cents. 



Now whtit is the cost of manufacturing (including wool and every other 

 expense,) cloth of the same amount of stock, and better quality, than Welsh 

 plains 1 To the present weight of the cloth per yard add one-third, and 

 you have the weight of the wool in the fleece — as bought of the farmer.* If, 

 then, the Welsh plains weigh 13 ounces per yard, they required 171 ounces 

 of fleece-wool as stock. Wool of the quality worked into " plain cloth" 

 or " sheep's gray," in this State, (New-York,) many shades better in qual- 

 ity than the stock of Welsh plains, has averaged from June to December, 

 1846, from, say, 20 to 22 cents a pouudt — or, if pulled from the pelts of 

 slaughtered sheep, as is the case with large quantities of it worked into 

 these cloths, it did not, during the same period, stand the purchaser-in to 

 exceed 18 cents per pound. Assume the average to be 21 cents per pound, 

 and the stock of a yard of these cloths (17^ ounces) would cost 22 j cents. 



You are familiar with the character of the " sheep's gi'ays " of New- 

 York. They are worn almost universally by our farmers. Of the twenty- 

 five thousand men you saw at the State Fair at Rochester, at least three- 

 fourths of them ordinarily wear this quality of cloth for pantaloons, and 

 say one-half of them for coats. Its ordinary weight is from that of the 

 Welsh plain to 16 ounces per yard, and its style and expense of manufac- 

 ture are superior to those of the former. It can be manufactured, in- 

 cluding use of machinery, &c., and every process after the wool is received 

 in the fleece, to fitting it for market, for eJcren cents 2>er yard ! A mer- 

 chant of this State owns a manufactory, employing say $25,000 or $30,000 

 of capital, which turns ofl" from 500 to 600 yards of cloth per diem — the 

 fleece-wool being converted into finished cloth in eight days. His whole 

 expenses, including use of manufactory, averages, according to his oivn 

 statements, not to exceed the above named price per yard. Add this sum 

 to the cost of wool, and cloths containing an equal quantity and quality of 

 stock with Welsh plains would cost 33-1 cents per yard ; and you there- 

 fore pay for this class of cloths about one /iundred 2>er cent, heyond the first 

 cost, for transportation, duties, and manufacturer's profits. The latter, of 

 course, absorbs most of the immense sum thus paid, or rather thrown away, 

 annually by the Southern States. The Chelmsfords, and various other 

 woolen goods imported by you, are probably manufactured at nearly equal 

 profits. 



Is it singular, then, that " acres of woolen manufactories " are now in 

 the process of erection in the North ? or that existing establishments 

 are declaring dividends of from ten to fifteen per cent. 11^ 



But I have not done with the data of manufacturing. The manufac- 

 turer above alluded to has, to my certain knowledge, exchanged "sheep's 

 grays " r6(iuiring a })ound of stock per yard, for wool of the same (|uality 

 as the stock, giving a yard of cloth for Ij IV.s. of wool. Calling this wool 



* After being washed in the ordinary manner on the back of the sheep. 



t Wool baa rifen einfc December. 



J 1 did contempliiK! an enumeration of the new woolen manufaotories now biiildin;;, or in contempla- 

 tion, within my knowledfre, in this Sinte and New-Eniiland ; but will mention but a fi'w of the most im- 

 portant ones. The Hay State Mill-", now in jirocoss of erection in the new city of Lawrence, Mass., will 

 ■work up ':3,(K)0,1H)!) lbs. of wool prr annum. One of the mills, 'JOO feet loii^ and si.x stories hiah, will so into 

 operation thin simimer. The machine-sho]), wool-bouse, etc., (the mere oftice.s,) will be, includinj; wince, 

 thirtein hundred fret in length, and three stories hiL'h. Their very .svirrr will cost S-">."i'0 ! A splendid 

 steam mill lins just (.'onc; into 0)ieralion in Utica, in this I'tate, which will work up l.OOO.OOt) lbs. of wool per 

 nnnum. Another of the same size is in contemplation, in Utica ; another in Syracuse ; another in Auburn, 

 &c. ! There never was a time when Ameiican muniifai-tures stood on a firmer basis, or were making bel- 

 ter profits tcUh. a prnsprrt of having tliem iimtinuuiis. This is cunccdi.d by the ablest of the manufadurcrs 

 thtmsdoi !<■ as 1 shall, in the proper place, show. 

 (1140) 



