178 SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



Here may be aptly inserted the following articles from the February 

 number of the Albany " Cultivator," to assist the judgment of those 

 who would decide on the best information as to the prospects for a 

 remunerating price for the coarser kinds of long w^ool. It will be seen 

 that under the influence of the present tariff, and the probability of its 

 remaining for some time undisturbed, a large amount of capital is 

 finding its way to employment in woollen manufactures by the esta- 

 blishment of branches of it, hitherto unaltempted in this country. 



" We have great pleasure in laying before our readers the follow- 

 ing letter from Samuel Lawrence, Esq., of Lowell, in answer to one 

 we addressed him, enclosing samples of wool from some Leicester 

 sheep, owned by Mr. Howard, associate editor of the Cultivator. It 

 will be seen from this letter that rapid advances are making in this 

 country in the manufacture of such goods as require lung wool, such 

 as is produced by the breeds of sheep known as Cotswolds, Leices- 

 ters, Lincolnshires, &c. ; and that the increasing demand for this kind 

 of wool affords encouragement to the breeders of these sheep, which 

 they have not heretofore enjoyed. It will be seen, also, that Mr. S. 

 expresses great confidence in the belief that the prospects of the wool 

 grower are fully equal to those of any other branch of husbandry." 



" Lowell, January 10, 1844. 

 " Editors of the Cultivator, 



" My numerous engagements at the opening of the year have pre- 

 vented an earlier reply to your respected favour of the 28th ult. 



" I have examined the two samples of wool, and am of opinion that 

 they are admirably adapted to combing purposes for the manufac- 

 ture of Muuslin de Laines. The staple is long, strong, and lustrous, 

 qualities not desirable for felting purposes, especially the tw^o latter. 

 I judge these samples to be from Cotswold sheep, a breed which it 

 is very desirable to propagate in this country, as the worsted business 

 is just coming into existence. The secret of England's advance of 

 all the world in the manufacture of worsted goods, lays in the fact of 

 her possessing better breeds of sheep for the production of combing 

 wools, and not from her superior skill in working them. 



" The worsted business, in its various shapes, is to be of immense im- 

 portance in this country ; and it affords me sincere pleasure to be able 

 to say to you that it has already been commenced in this State upon a 

 liberal scale, by parties whose means and intelligence are a guaranty 

 of its success. A great deal of talent and skill have been brought to 

 bear upon this branch of industry; and if I am not greatly deceived, 

 the time is near when old England herself will be astonished at our 

 success. A number of hundred looms on mouslines are already in 

 operation, and more in progress. In addition to the works already 

 projected, a company is now being formed in Boston, loith a capital 

 of a million of dollars, for ivories on mnuslin de lairics, &c. 



" In reply to your incjuiry about the kinds and quantities of wool 

 used in the Middlesex mills, I have to say that we use about a million 



