SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 135 



Ca Jiouse and rations, per annum ; overseers of a superior description <£50 

 to cf 60 ($230 to $276),* also with a house and rations.f 



The sheep are exposed to the depredations of various animals, but the 

 ■wild dog is their most dangerous enemy, with the exception of the run- 

 aicay convict. The sheep are therefore folded nightly, guarded by a 

 watchman with his dogs, and with a fire to scare away the wild beasts.J 

 One shepherd usually takes care of about 300 sheep, and " in the more 

 sterile parts of the Colony, where three acres of the uncultivated ground are 

 scarcely sufficient for the support of one sheep, the labor is very severe." i| 

 Mr. Samuel Lawrence recently wrote me : 



" I saw a gentleman from England a few months since who has an admirable flock in 

 New South Wales, of twenty-five thousand sheep, and he assured me he had not received a 

 penny of income from them since 1838." 



Van Diemen's Land (containing 28,000 square miles) is claimed by Mr 

 YQuatt§ to.be superior in several respects to Australia as a wool-growing 

 country. Table 8 does not, however, show that its exports increase any 

 more rapidly. 



Both of these Islands, as colonies of Great Britain, send their wool to 

 the latter duty free, and they save 1 cent per pound on wool costing less 

 than 24 cents, and 2 cents on that exceeding that value. But this by no 

 means offsets against the additional cost of freight, over that exported from 

 the United States, Hungary, or the south of Russia. While it is only 

 3,375 miles fii-om New- York to London, it is not less than 13,000 miles 

 from Sydney or Hobart's Town to the latter place. Professor McCulloch 

 states (art. Sydney) that the expense of conveying a passenger to Sydney 

 is about three times that of conveying one to Quebec. I see no reason 

 why a coiTesponding difference should not exist in the freights ; and in 

 that case, freights from the United States would be two-thirds less than 

 from Australia. 



I pretend, Sir, to no power of vaticination on this subject, but the con- 

 clusions which /draw from a review of all the foregoing facts are as follows : 



1. That wool-growing is never likely to peiTnanently and importantly^ 

 increase in any of the countries of Europe, unless it be in Hungary, Tur- 

 key, and the south of Russia. 



2. That it is more likely to decrease than increase in Great Britain, 

 France, Portugal and Italy. 



3. That such a decrease is next to certain in Spain and Germany, (in- 

 cluding Prussia and Austria in the latter,) excepting Hungary and Tran- 

 sylvania ; that the decrease will be much more considerable in Germany ; 

 that its rapidity and extent will be proportioned to the rapidity and extent 

 with which the market is supplied from countries which can gi"ow wool 

 cheaper, such as North and South America, Hungary, Southern Russia, 

 and Australia. 



4. That wool-growing will undoubtedly largely increase in Hungary and 

 Southern Russia — and that it ought to in European and Asiatic Turkey, 

 but will not, extensively, until the character of the people and their po- 

 litical institutions are changed. 



5. That it will also increase at the Cape of Good Hope, Australia and 

 Van Diemen's Land ; but that its economical extension in either of these 

 countries is limited, especially if America becomes a competitor. 



* Calling the Knglish shilling 23 cents, nccordin? to Report of Direotor of U. S. Mint, 1827. 



t Report of B Committee, <fcc., quotecl by Mr. McCulloch — Com. Die. ; art, Sydney. 



j Cunningham'* Two Years in New South Wales, vol. i., p. 254. 



II Youatt on the .'^hei-p, p. 188. § Qttem vide, p. 190. 



i[I say "importantly," because Rwcden, Norway, Denmark. <tc.. in that spirit of renderine themselTea in- 

 dependent of foreitcn supplies, which characterizes all nations, may, anil probably will extend their wool 

 culture ; but it will be too unprofitable a struggle against Nature, to be carried to a very great extent. 

 (279) 



