42 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



South Down, such as the Sussex, Hampshire and 

 Shropshire Downs. 



In our previous remarks we have not made this 

 distinction. We have alluded to them all as long 

 wooled mutton sheep. In comparing them with 

 the Merinos it may be well to designate all the 

 English sheep as " Coarse Wools " and the Merinos 

 as "Fine Wools." 



We think that so long as the present price of 

 coarse wool is maintained the English sheep are 

 most profitable. But we would not advise those 

 who have Fine Wools to dispose of them and pur- 

 chase Coarse Wools; for by the time they have 

 raised a flock of Coarse Wools, fine wool may and 

 probably will be again in demand. 



In fact, even now American manufacturers are 

 stopping work on army blankets and other coarse 

 wool fabrics, and are running on fine wool ; and a 

 manufacturer recently remarked to us that we 

 should do farmers a great injustice by recommend- 

 ing coarse- wooled sheep. 



THE GROWTH OF LUSTRE WOOL. 



At at a recent meeting of the Central Farmers' 

 Olnb, at London, the subject of discussion was: 

 "The Desirability of Increasing the Growth of 

 Lustre Wool." The Chairman, Mr. Chakles 

 Howard, in opening the discussion, said: 



" Wool had ever formed an important item in 

 the receipts of the stock farmer. It had com- 

 manded of late years a very satisfactory price, and, 

 in consequence of the cotton supply being inter- 

 rupted by therfFearful American war, it appeared 

 likely to do so for some years to come, and there- 

 fore it behooved them, as British farmers, to en- 

 deavor, by every means in tlieir power, to increa.«e 

 the growth of that kind of wool wliich was likely 

 to fetch the best price in the Englisli market, other 

 matters, of course, beiii-i considered. It must be 

 the object of the British fanner to produce as 

 mnch stock as j>ossib]e. He would remark that 

 tiiere was no animal that woidd so well repay the 

 attention of the farmer as the sheep." 



Mr. Andekton, a manufacturer, and a gentleman 

 of great experience in the wool business, gave some 

 interesting facts in regard to the prodnction of 

 lustre wool. It appears that the manufacturers 

 bare made considerable effort to induce farmers in 

 fl>re-gn countries to produce this kind of wool, 

 but as yet without success, lu his remarks on this 

 point Mr. A. said: 



"From Canada we have received a small supply, 

 at oncertnin intervals, of a wool very mnch re- 

 sembling our Leicester wool; but this wool is very 

 mucli de|.rccinted in value, from the want <>f clear- 

 ed enclosures for tlie sheep to grnze in. This want 

 eauseA the wool to iiave a good deal of burr or 

 ■Md, gathered by the wanderers, which burr or 



seed is very troublesome to the manufacturers; and 

 it will be a long time before Canada will be 

 able to supply us with such wool. I am, more- 

 over, of opinion tliat Canada can never compete 

 with onr loi;g wools, tlie climate differing so greatly 

 from our own, which is manifestly well adapted 

 for its production." 



The price of this long lustre wool has steadily 

 advanced for some years. It commands a higher 

 price than any other English-grown wool. It now 

 brings 48 cents per pound, while the finer South 

 Down brings only 42 cents. It is believed that 

 the demand for this kind of wool will continut 

 greatly in excess of the supply, and that price,' 

 will be still higher. 



Mr. FiSHEK HoBBS thought thnt lustre woo 

 could only be i>roduced on the rich pastures o 

 Lincolnshire, and that it would not be advisabl 

 for farmers in other sections to attempt to raise it 

 Tiie old-fashioned Lincoln sheep which produce 

 this long lustrous wool, were very inferior mutto 

 sheep. They did not come to maturity as eariy u 

 the Leicester, and the quality of the mutton w« 

 very inferior. He quoted from Georgk Culle- 

 who wrote fifty years ago, to the effect that tl 

 farmers in Lincolnshire had devoted so much a 

 tention to the production of this kind of wool thj 

 they neglected the form of the carcass and incli* 

 tion to fat readily. Mr. C. was traveling at tl 

 time, and says: 



" On asking a butcher's wife, at Bury, in Snffol 

 how she sold mutton ? Five pence a povvd. si> 

 answered she, smartly. And pray, replied 

 (rather surprised at the high price.) have you i. 

 mutton below five pence? O yes, sir! rejoins t 

 honest woman, plenty of Lincolnshires, at fo 

 pence ; but we do not nrcount V mutton, when cc. 

 pared with our Norfolk or Svffolh nrntton." 



This was fifty years ago. Since then the Li i 

 coins have been much improved by crossing wi 

 the Leicesters. So much s-^, indeed, that one 

 the speakers stated that they now, at a year ol 

 not unfrequently weighed from 14 to 17 stonM 

 (112 lbs. to 136 lbs.,) dead weight. 



Mr. R. Smith said he was much obliged to i* 

 Andebton for having introduced this subject, a: 

 remarked : 



*' Having been a breeder of sheep from 1 

 youth, he had never deviated from that branoli 

 "agriculture. They miirlit depend upon it that 

 mutton and woolwould not pay the farmer's rei 

 notliing would. Mr. Andki{Ton had very proj.n 

 alluded t() the nseof phee)) in treading ormannri 

 purposes. Tlie fact was that the sheep was in tl 

 respect the main vehicle of improvement, and 

 believed thatf.nimal returned more money for wl 

 it r.ceived than any other. As regarded lust 

 wool, ii WH8 quite true tint it could only be grov 

 on ceruin animals, or rather on certain soils. 



