57G SHEEP IIUSHANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



A mill Willi fl cnpilal ofSlon.OOO will innnufactiivfi. say OO.OOC yards of 6-4 cloth, which 



will bring in iiiiuUrl iiii iivcriii^d of $1 M per yard, or $i3j,000 



To act these cloilis into ciish {for they iire sold at 8 iiioiiths, and are charged 

 with coniiiiission of") per cent., and otlicr charges equal, in all, including in- 

 terest, boxins and trnnsportHiion, to l",' per cent. $16,200 



Cost of 2-J.'),0l)iril..s. of wool at ;iO cents 67,500 



:f,:iOO gallons sperm and lard oil at SI 3,:M0 



. . Soap, soft and hard .3,.500 



. . 800.000 teazles : 1,000 



.. Dyeina materials of all kinds 11,.^00 



.. Fuel, r 1,000 



.. I'aper, tape, twine, nails, lumber, cards. cnndlRS, &c 3,000 



. . Labor, S."),000 per quarter, or 20,000 



.. Insurance 2,000 



Total $122,000 



If I were under oatli, I do not believe I sliould alter any ofthe.se items — or, at least, I should 

 add as often as I diuiiiii.shed, I liave no doubt. You may think Si .50 a low average for cloths, 

 but it must be a very fair clotii to bring that sum, I as.sure you. You may al.«o think 12 per cent, 

 a high charge for gelling these cloths into rash. ucc. but it is scarcely what we pay. And the 

 records of our wool book will show that :iO cents is tiie co.st of such wool as we work. And our 

 books will prove that it has taken, for many ycar.s past. 2^ lbs. of wool to make a yard of broad- 

 cloth. There is 13 per cent, left for prolits here, because I have not allowed one cent for repairs 

 or taxes, or for the agents' .salaries, which will swell the expenses fully up to S124,.500 — within a 



fraction of swallowing up all over 10 per cent Well, I admit that 10 per cent, is a great 



business ; but you speak of l,i, and that is going too far 



Very respectfully your friend and obedient servant, S. NEWTON DEXTER. 



It will be seen from the foregoing letters : 



1st. That where their machinery is ailaptetl to it, manufacturers are will- 

 jnof to make and sell gootJs of the same amount of stock and style of 

 manui^acture, with Welsh plains, out of domestic tvool for 40 cents per 

 yard ; and that manufacturers of perfect pecuniary responsibility are ready 

 to contract so to furnish it. This (apart from tlie small item of transporta- 

 tion) is Iwcntij-fivt cents per yard, or about thirty-nine per cent, cheaper 

 thati you now obtain these cloths : and an article manufactured from do- 

 mestic wool would, by reason of the far supei'ior strength wad. felting j^rop- 

 crty of the stock, be much stronger and more durable than the foreign 

 goods. 



2d. It will be farther seen that a skillful and responsible manufacturer 

 would furnish cloth, coiTesponding with Welsh plains, at '61 cents per yard, 

 could he procure the same quality of wool now employed in the manufac- 

 ture of those cloths at a price proportionably low with domestic wools, 

 calling the latter 25 cents per pound. 



Blankets are manufactured at equally exorbitant profits ; and the 

 Chelmsfords, paying less transportation and no duties, approach the same 

 standard of profit — though, judging from your samples, I consider them 

 the cheapest goods. 



I have given Mr. Dexter's undoubtedly fair and candid statements in 

 the premises — my object in these letters being, as I once before have 

 stated, to arrive at truth, and not to support a favorite hypothesis, or to 

 maintain, at all hazards, preconceived views. 



My own estimates and those of Mr. Dexter, of the actual cost of manu- 

 facturing Welsh plains, it will be seen, differ — but not so materially as 

 would as first appear, when the advance of wool, soap, oil, &:c., are taken 

 into consideration. I have no doubt that, in making his estimates, he had 

 his eye more on the better and more elaborate machinery of his own mills 

 — the more expensive and perfect performance of the various njanufactur- 

 ing processes common in that class of establishments, than on the cheaper 

 machinery and processes necessary in the manufacture of coarse goodt'. 

 My estimates, or rather statements <^)f cost of manufacturing sheep's gray, 

 you will recollect, were given on supposed avtunJ hnotrleJge of what a 

 maimfacturer of these goods had made them at. To these Mr. D. seems 

 to take no exceptions. 



In relation to the .shrinkage of wool, Mr. Dexter undoubtedly bases his 



llliC] 



