THE WOOL TRADE OF NEW-YORK STATE, &C. 165 



I trust you and your readers, and especially Mr. B., -will excuse these running 

 commentaries on "his clear and interestmg statement. There is one point of it 

 which suggests one more remark : It is the deliberate declaration of such a man, 

 who has traveled all over the Union, is familiar with its various climates, its 

 course of trade, its agricultural staples, its manufacturing industry — it is his 

 declaration to which I would call attention, to wit: "Western Virginia I think 

 admirably adapted to the growth of sheep. Our common stock, when well taken 

 care of, produce a large fleece, and the mutton is as fat and w^ell flavored as any 

 in the world. I have no doubt the breeding of improved sheep would be more 

 profitable lo the farmers of this country [meaning Western Virginia] than the 

 i;razing of cattle." What stronger corroboration do I need of the soundness of 

 tuy suggestions, and of the more elaborate and unanswerable illustrations of Mr. 

 Randall, as contained in his admirable Letters, now appearing in your Monthly 

 Journal. Doubtless these arguments apply as well to all the upper portions of 

 the Carolinas and G-eorgia. 



It will be admitted that the Yankees are good at guessing what is best for 

 themselves, and know pretty well how to turn their resources to the best ac- 

 count. You will find in a late number of the " Western New-Yorker," pub- 

 lished at Warsaw, the following statement as to the wool business of that county: 



" The whole number of yards of woolen goods made at the different factories is set down at 

 65.518 — valued at $51,358 : value of raw material used, $23,800. There have been, at the 

 lowest estimate, (ajid it probably exceeds that.) 500,000 pounds of wool sold this season, by 

 the fanners of our county. Admitting the sales to average 28 cents jier pound, which will 

 not vary much, if any, fi-om that, the amount of money paid out for wool will be one hun- 

 dred and forty thousand dollai's — a nice Uttle sum to be scattered broadcast over our 

 county." 



An equal sum might be derived from wool in almost every county in Virginia 

 and Maryland, without any diminution of income from other sources. 



In the Genesee Farmer I find the following. It will be seen that his Merino 

 sheep averaged nearly 4| pounds ; but putting the average at 4 pounds, his 200 

 sheep yielded for their wool above $350, saying nothing about their 190 lambs. 

 This $350 is more than fields of 100 acres of wheat will net, on the average 

 through the State. Rating the 190 lambs at $1 each, the 200 sheep would give 

 $540. But there are factories in the Northern States ready to buy the wool "and 

 many other products of the farm on which the avooI is grown: 



" When I kept the Saxony, 2^ lbs. per head was all that I could get with good keeping ; 

 and in rearing lambs I would lose at least 15 per cent., and ueai-ly the same iu wintering old 

 ones ; and I think there is not as much difference in theii' size, nor in the quantity of food 

 they eat, as some have intunated. To be sure the Merinos are larger than the Saxony, but' 

 the difference is not gi-eat. I think that a fat sheep will not eat as much as a lean one, and 

 certainly my Merinos keep in much better order, otw the same fare, than my Saxons did. 

 and I seldom lose oue iu wiutering ; and in rearing lambs we seldom lose 5 per cent. ; and 

 I find it fully as easy to shear 4 lbs. per liead as 2^ from my Saxons — and indeed my ewes 

 this year averaged near 4J lbs. per head, counting lambs and all. My lightest fleece was 

 3 lbs. 6 oz., and two with lambs by their sides gave 5^ lbs. each, and one baiTen ewe gave 

 7 lbs. 14 oz. My sheep were thoroughly washed. The man who bought my wool was 

 much pleased with it, and gave me the top of the market, 37^ cents per lb., cash, for my 

 entii-e clip. My (lock consists of about 200, aliout half ol wliich are pure bred Meiinos of 

 the Paular kind, wliicii I have bred from about 10 ewes and 2 bucks that I purchnsed from the 

 most approved (locks iu Vermont. The other half of my (lock is a high cross of the common 

 Merino on the native and Saxony, which makes their wool about as fine as my full-blood 

 Paulars, but do not give near as heavy fleeces. Now I say let every one make his own cal- 

 culations, and keep the kind of sheep he pleases. 



" Very respectfully yours, REED BURRITT. 



-BnrrUt, Tompkins Co., N. Y., July, \m:' 



— One more and a much shorter letter will suffice, Mr. Editor, for the few gen- 

 eral remarks and reflections that remain on what was observed in connection 

 with their Agriculture during a most agreeable visit to the Springs in Western 

 Virginia. 



Longevity of the Do.vkey. — A donkey belonging to Mr. Gaudey, of Brighton, died 

 lately at the advanced age of a hundred years ! It was a great fevorite with its master, and 

 was well provided for up to the time of its death. 

 (357) 



