WOOL CULTIVATION ON THE PAMPAS. 157 



WOOL CULTIVATION ON THE PAMPAS. 



Almost the whole of the South American wool is the pro- 

 duction of Spanish sheep that have been taken over there, 

 and that have multiplied, to a very great extent. Both the 

 sheep and the fleece have considerably degenerated, pro- 

 ceeding in part from unfavorableness of . the climate, but 

 probably more from unskilful management. Large quanti- 

 ties of wool are exported to the United States, and also 

 Great Britain, but so decidedly bad in quality, that very little 

 of it, comparatively, can be used except for the most inferior 

 manufactures. The extraordinary facilities for wool culture 

 from climate aikd exuberance of herbage adapted to the sheep 

 in parts of South America, have induced many enterprising 

 foreigners to embark extensively in the business, and great 

 improvement in a few. years may be expected to result in the 

 quality of the wool. 



The following account of sheep nianagement in Buenos 

 Ayres is by a correspondent of the Albany Cultivator : — ■ 

 "The fertile 'Pampas' in the interior of South America 

 have been long celebrated for the immense herds of cattle 

 and horses reared upon them. So abundant are they, and 

 so easily reared, that they are slaughtered in many places 

 for their skins and tallow alone. Sheep too of native breed, 

 with coarse hairy wool, have been so plentiful that their car- 

 cases were used for fuel in burning brick. The expense of 

 transportation and the ajjsence of timber and salt for barrel- 

 ing alone prevents us from the competition of their meat in 

 our own parts. The attention of agriculturists there has been 

 of late years turned to improving their stocks of sheep by 

 large importations of Saxony from this country and from Eu- 

 rope. An English gentleman began the business with a 

 stock of 60 Saxons and 3000 ewes, and in the year 1835 

 he had increased the number to 45,000, and the grade was 

 nearly increased to full blogd. In the year 1837 he 

 had 90,000, and intended to keep on until he numbered 

 200,000, which quantity he has doubtless attained before. this 

 time ; others were copying his example, until the business 

 bids fairly to outstrip that of cattle, within a few years. 

 The prices at which grade wools have sold have been from 

 8 to 12 cents per pound in Buenos Ayres. 



" The price of government lands there is ten cents per 

 acre. It is laid oiT in ' estancias,' a league square, con- 



14 



