62 



American Wools. 



There is still a large opening for the profitable employ- 

 ment of labor and capital in. sheep growing, in those por- 

 tions of this country best adapted to the business. A large 

 amount of wool is still imported from abroad, and the de- 

 mand grows with our growing population, while some of 

 the old States are not able to compete with the new regions 

 of the Southwest in the production of sheep and wool at 

 remunerative prices. From an article in a leading business 

 publication of New York, it appears that the finer classes 

 of wool are not as profitable to tne producer as those of the 

 more common kind. 



In this country our finest and best clothing wools are 

 grown in West Virginia (especially the Pan Handle dis- 

 trict), Ohio and Pennsylvania. Next in order follow ISTew 

 York, Vermont and Michigan ; then Illinois, Iowa, Mis- 

 souri, Wisconsin and Minnesota ;i|iext, California, Texas, 

 Greorgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama and Florida. 

 The New England States, excepting Vermont, do not raise 

 much wool, and in that State sheep are raised more for 

 breeding than wool growing purposes, ' and some of our 

 best and purest blooded merino stock are bred there. 

 Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts raise a few 

 sheep, principally, however, of the Southdown and Leices- 

 ter cross breeds. The very finest fibred wool is grown in 

 the Pan Handle district, West Virginia, where the isheep 

 are mostly of the Saxony breed ; this stock, originally from 

 Silesia, being noted as the finest wool in the world. The 

 sheep, however, are delicate and small, and require careful 

 attention and wintering to keep from degenerating. The 

 fleeces are small, and, as a rule, it does not pay the far- 

 mers to raise this breed. The wool is used in making the 

 finest cloths, coatings, flannels and cassimeres. 



Ohio used to be the most prominent wool growing State, 

 but now shows a material decrease in production, the land 

 having become more valuable for other purposes. The 

 sheep raised in Ohio are chiefly of the merino breed, either 

 pure or crossed with native stock. 



In New York, Michigan- and Pennsylvania considerable 

 fine wool is raised ; to the last named State is conceded the 

 crtidit of growing the best, being of more even texture and 

 less greasy than that from the other- two. These wools are 

 not so valuable as the Ohio and West Virginia. 



