63 



The Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and 

 Minnesota wools are chiefly of mixed grades, running into 

 medium. From Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida 

 the clip is all of a medium to low medium description. 



Finally, Texas and California, two large and important 

 wool raising States, produce wools of distinctive character, 

 and adapted for peculiar goods. In these States there are 

 two clips each year, spring and fall. The spring wools are 

 used in connection with Ohio and other better classes, to 

 cheapen stock, and as tilling wool, and when of long 

 growth they are spun into warp yarns. The fall clip is 

 employed in making satinets, feltings, and to mix with 

 long stapled wool. 



,' The clip of the United States is principally from sheep 

 either pure or mixed merino breed, and in quality averages 

 from three-quarters torfialf blood — that is, three-quarters 

 to half merino breed, and one-quarter to one-half native. 

 They thrive well, as they can be kept in large flocks and in 

 comparatively wild' pasturage, and our far western States 

 and Territories^ — Texas, California, Nevada, Colorado, 

 Kansas and Utah are destined to become the great wool 

 raising country. 



Short-stapled fine wool is largely absorbed by the hat- 

 ting and felting trade, who select generally the fall or 

 spring California or Texas and Cape wool. The goods 

 riiade are wool hats, seamless clothing, piano and table 

 covers, felt skirts and a variety of domestic goods. The 

 low medium and coarser wools from Northern and West- 

 ern Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Nevada and Utah, are used 

 for the manufacture of blankets and low hosiery. 



In 1873 the amount of wool raised in the United States, 

 according to Mr. James Lynch's report, was 174,700,000 

 pounds, of which California alone produced upwards of 

 32,000,000. There was imported about 47,000,000 pounds 

 of foreign wool of all descriptions, the bulk being "■ car- 

 pet." This makes a grand total of 221,000,000 pounds of 

 raw material, or about half that quantity when scoured 

 and ready for the cards. Value about $65,000,000 gold. 

 In addition to wool, we imported in 1873 about $38,000,000 

 worth of woolen goods, gold value. 



