FELTING. 4f 



under the rigorous climate of Sweden, furnish an additional 

 support of this, my unaherable opinion, fine-wooled sheep 

 may be kept wherever industrious men and intelligent breeders 

 exist." 



Notwithstanding the above is so consolatory, and withal 

 so very encouraging to our brethren of the Southern States to 

 embark in sheep husbandry, yet it is undeniable that in 

 northern latitudes the finest wools are produced ; but this 

 has arisen much from superior skill in breeding, and great 

 assiduity in management in every regard. If sheep are 

 properly selected from high-bred Merino and Saxon flocks, 

 and taken to a latitude not south of 28 deg., if rightly man- 

 aged, will suffer little deterioration for many years, and will 

 produce wools of a like description of the Australian, soft, 

 of even and long filament, fit for felting, and also admirably 

 adapted for the finest and most beautiful of worsted fabrics. 

 An instance is known by the writer,* of an imported flock 

 of Saxons having been taken to Tennessee some twenty 

 years since, and judging from the samples of wool from it 

 now in his possession, the conclusion is inevitable, that 

 little or no deterioration has been produced by the climate. 

 If sheep are provided with suitable retreats for shade during 

 the heat of the summer months, there are many districts in 

 the Southern States unsurpassed for wool cultivation. If 

 there is a tendency to coarseness, it will be retarded or 

 wholly prevented by an occasional recurrence to northern 

 stock getters. 



Many imagine that the climate of the Southern States is 

 wholly unsuitable for the production of a fine fleece, because 

 of the inferiority of the wools of South America. The de- 

 generacy of the Merinos taken there, has not arisen so much 

 from the climate, as because " industrious men and intelli- 

 gent breeders" were not present to manage them; further- 

 more, very many of the sheep transported there from Spain, 

 were of the Chunah breed, producing very coarse wool, and 

 these were promiscuously bred with the Merinos. The 

 conservative power over the fleece lies in good management 

 far more than climate. 



FELTING. 



The phenomena of felting long remained enshrouded in 



* Mr. Mark H. Cockrill — see liis letter in Appendix. 

 4* 



