P4 SHEEP HUSBANDRY I> THE SOUTH. 



LETTER VIII 



PROSPECTS OF THE WOOL MARKET— FUTURE DEMAND AJ^D SUPPLY, 



Amount of Wool which mny be grown in the Southern States. . -If the demsnd is already supplied, wher» 

 if) it to find H Market?. . .The cheaper Producer can drive his rival ft-om the market, unless the disparity 

 of Capital is greatly Hgninst him... In Individual Capital, the South possesses the advantage over the 

 North. . .The South can produce Wool cheaper than New-York. . .North of latitude 4(1" there will be little 

 ditterenre in the cost of producing Wool. . .Cost of producing it in New-England— Pennsylvania — New-Jer- 

 sey—Ohio. . .The Prairies— Their^vast Extent— Their anticipated Advantages for Sheep Husbandry— Klocka 

 driven on them — Anticipations blasted, so far as keeping Sheep economically on the Natural Grasses is con- 

 cerned. . .Character of the Prairie Grasses — Flourish but during a short season, rendering the time of fodder- 

 ing longer than even in New-England... Another Difficuliy— The Wild Grasses which the Sheep feed on 

 rapidly become extirpated — Statement-t of thcEditorof the Prairie Farmer confirmatory of this, and of the 

 assertion in relation to the length of the time of foddering.. .His proposition to introduce Grasses which will 

 ^rov in the IVinur — Impracticability — Reasons. . .Burning over the Prairies— Objections.. .Indifferent 

 quality of Prairie Hay.. .Principal Advantages of the Prairies for Sheep Husbandry narrowed down 



to two — Cheapness of Land — Privilege of Pasturing the Public Lands The latter Advantage rapidly 



lessening. . .Cost of Pieparing the Prairies for Sheep Husbandry — Materials for Fences, Buildings and Fuel 

 entirely warning on the interior of them.. .Coal for Fu.^l plenty, but not economically available. . .Fences — 

 those of earth inadequate. .. Hedges — Require /f^ces to protect «Acm while growing — Their success then 

 doubtful. . .Timber may hegroten for all of the above purposes, but would raise the cost of the land above 

 those of the Sheep Lands of New- York and New-England. . .The Shepherd System as a Substitute for 

 Fences — When the Sheep become numerous, it would cost more to keep them in separate flocks than 

 fences cost in tht: East. . .Pasiuiing in Common considered— The Sheep could not be separated for any 

 ordinary purpose of Sheep Husbandrj- — There would be no protection against theft, promiscuous inter- 

 bleeding, uniimely impresination — No way of effectually combating contagious disorder.-* — Reasons ... Nat- 

 ural and unremovable Objections to the Prairies — Want of Water— A Climnte far more fickle and excessiTa 

 than in the Eastern states. . .Shown by the record of the thermometrical observations kept at the Military 

 iosva of the United States... These compared... Wool growing in Mtiico — In South America. 



Dear Sir : In recomniending the production of Wool on a scale so ex- 

 tensive in the Southern States, as I have done in my preceding Letters, 

 the fact should not be lost sight of, that were these recommendations com- 

 plied with, one of the great staples of commerce would be enormously 

 increased. The Southern States — the ten* to which I have confined all 

 my preceding remarks and estimates — to say nothing of those in the same 

 latitudes west of the Mississi])pi — include an area of 450,000 square miles, 

 or 288,000,000 square acres. Allow one- eighth of this region to be in a 

 state of cultivation, ■!■ or in natural pastures, and we have 36,000,000 acre^j 

 which could be more or less devoted to the growth of wool. Assuming 

 that, on the average, every two acres would, under proper tillage, support 

 one sheep, (which, it seems to me, they might do with no very material 

 diminution of present staples,) and that the sheep average 3 lbs. per fleece, 

 the annual product of wool would be 54,000,000 lbs. This amount might 

 be indefinitely added to, by diminishing the production of present staples. 

 How far this could be economically done, experience must determine. 



If we concede the adequacy of the present supply of wool to the demand, 

 *aking the world together, it is apparent that an increase of 50, 75, or 100 

 millions of pounds, in one quarter, will produce an over-supply, (and thus 

 greatly depress prices,) unless met by an increased demand, or a coiTe 

 spending diminution in production, in some other quarter. I do not concede 

 the adequacy of the present supply, but shall, however, waive that point. 



The question now arises, where is the wool thus produced to find a 

 market, if the South should, within the next ten, fifteen, or twenty years, 



• Nine, bes^ltles that portion of Louisiana east of the Mississippi. 



t Probably the amiuut in cultivati' n, including that in natural pasture, i« eet down pretty high. It mai 

 uot ex'-eed a temi. 



