1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



521 



excellent breed, that shall by her annual calf 

 bring in an income equal to $1000 at interest. 



A horse is usually kept for the use of old 

 people. May not this animal be a mare of 

 such merit that the colt that annually sports at 

 her side shall command a price equal to the 

 interest of another §1000. 



Then tlie few acres reserved from the large 

 farm might as well graze a few sheep to keep 

 up the supply of warm flannels and the most 

 nutritious meat. Let them be the beautiful, 

 trim South Downs, which never disappoint 

 their owner, either in wool or meat; or the 

 enormous Cotswolds, which under an old far- 

 mer's skilful feeding, should each become so 

 excellent as to afford better returns than $500 

 at interest. 



Many portions of the work in dairy farm- 

 ing on a large scale can be conducted by far- 

 mers who could hardly endure constant out- 

 door work. The cai^e of cheese, the making 

 and storing of butter that brings in an income 

 of $5 or $8 per day, makes a man at the 

 house and a foreman upon the farm almost a 

 necessity. 



Thus by adopting any or either of these 

 branches of our glorious calling, the old man 

 never becomes a drone or an idler or a stumb- 

 ling bioi^k to turn others away from this pur- 

 suit. His steadfast enthusiasm and devotion 

 ennobles the calling and causes young men of 

 talent to join m the ranks of the tillers of the 

 soil. lie stands at his post, and with colors 

 still flying, bears down to that port where he 

 casts anchor in calm, peaceful waters, till he 

 hears a voice saying, '"Well done ! thou hast 

 been faithful over a few things : I will make 

 thee ruler over many things.'" 



With the strength of the youth and the 

 wisdom of the old combined our prosperity 

 has only commenced ; and soon Vermont 

 farming will do justice to Vermont farms, and 

 her farms shall be Ibund worthy of the most 

 iutellisent farmers. 



For the Xeiv England Farmer. 

 COMBING "WOOLS. 



Mr. Editor : — Perhaps it may not be lost 

 labor to call the attention of readers of the 

 Nkw England Farmer to the great demand 

 which exists at present for comhing wools. 

 The manufacture of worsted gooils has greatlv 

 increased of late, and is likely to increase for 

 years to come. The United States have been 

 hejivy purchasers of dress goods from England ; 

 but some of our enterprising establishments 

 are now making certain styles of goods equal 

 to thos(^ imported. The Everett mills, Pacitic 

 mUls, Washington mills of Lawrence, with a 

 number of smaller establishments in that city, 

 are making worsted yarns. Then there are 

 in Lowell, the Hamilton Manufacturing Com- 

 pany, the Carpet Manufacturing Company, 

 and James Dugdale. In Manchester, N. tL, 

 will be found the Manchester Print Works, 



using a large amount of wool of this descrip- 

 tion, and quite a number of smaller establish- 

 ments in Rhofle Island. The Hamilton Wool- 

 en Company of Southbridge are about com- 

 mencing a mill on worsteds. 



These all want pure blooded wool from the 

 Leicester, the Cotswold, and Lincoln bretds 

 of sheep, and the amount raised in the States 

 is comparatively small. The largest of these 

 firms have bought largely in Canada. Some 

 small lots of Canada, now in the Boston mar- 

 ket, are held at 70, 72.^, and 75 cents per 

 pound, and will be sold at these figures before 

 next May. If the amount of machinery now 

 in operation is kept running through the win- 

 ter, we shall have to import from England, 

 and that the consumption will not be reduced 

 at all is certain, the business being too re- 

 munerative. But while these full blooded 

 wools are bringing such hish prices, half and 

 quarter bred are bringing 55 cents per pound, 

 a price nearly equal to fine Saxony, and more 

 than the best Jlerino brings in the eastern 

 market. 



Sheep husbandry has, at the present time, 

 but few advocates, on account of the low price 

 at which wool has been fold lately ; but not- 

 withstanding the depression of clothing wools, 

 the price of combing wools has been very re- 

 munerative, and pure bred wools will continue 

 to Ije so for years to come. Machinery will 

 increase faster than the wool ; for neither half, 

 one quarter, nor even three quarters will 

 take the place of the pure bred wool. Noth- 

 ing but the best will make lustre goods. For 

 some purposes the ucixed breeds w^ill answer 

 full as well as the best. 



The increase of the pure breeds must as a 

 consequence be small, but the price of wool 

 and the increasing demand for good mutton 

 will render the question an important one. I 

 have no doubt that the sto /k will bring high 

 prices, but the half breed wool will bring a 

 price which 1 think would lie worth the atten- 

 tion of our farmers. A lamb would not be 

 dcspisable from a Cotswold or Leicester ewe 

 by a good large long wooled Merino ram, but 

 it would be of much more value by a long 

 wooled ram, and were it not such a very great 

 draft on a small Merino ewe. I should say that 

 such an one crossed with a Cotsv;old or Lei- 

 cester, would produce splendid combing wool. 

 I do not intend to write an article on cross 

 breeding, but simply to give the price of wool 

 and the prospective demand. With regard to 

 our fine wools, I would say, that prosperity is 

 returning, — wool will be worth more than it 

 has been for some time ; the farmer may look 

 for a really sale for his wool, when well 

 washed, at 10 cents. He may also look for a 

 reduction in the price of corn, grain, butter, 

 cheese, beef and pork, then wool will com- 

 pare with these in price more favorably tlian 

 at present. I should not think it advisable 

 for our farmers to sell their sheep, but were 

 any so disposed, I should think it an excel- 



