EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVEK. 657 



were largely in the majority, but from the failure to breed them for three years back 

 there were but few ewes under 4 years old, a state of things which, if continued 

 much longer, would cause the final extinction of the fine-wooled sheep. But the 

 summer of 1871 brought a revival in the wool market just in time to check the 

 general disposition to discard the Merino altogether in favor of long-wooled sheep. 



The wool-growers of OMo are an intelligent and influential body of 

 men, and have among them some astute politicians. In the depressed 

 condition of their industry they were not slow in divining the cause — 

 in fact they had anticipated it. For a long series of years the tariff 

 system of the country had been in the interest of the manufacturer and 

 not that of the producer and consumer. The woolen manufacturer had 

 protection on his manufactured goods, but the wool-grower had none 

 against the cheap wools of Asia, Europe, and South America. In 1861 

 a duty of 5 per cent ad valorem was placed on all wools costing less 

 than 18 cents per pound at place of export. This duty was less than 1 

 cent a pound upon Mestiza or Buenos Ayres wools. The war of 1861-'65, 

 with the resulting scarcity of cotton, vastly increased the use of wool 

 in the North and stimulated its production. The increase of production 

 was not confined to the North, but extended in other portions of the 

 world. Under our nominal tariff duties the influx of foreign wools into 

 the country was greatly increased. The annual imports of the Mestiza 

 wools of Buenos Ayres increased from less than 6,000,000 pounds in 

 1862 to over 17,000,000 pounds in 1863 and 24,000,000 pounds in 1864. 

 In 1866 the importation from Buenos Ayres was 36,915,794 pounds. In 

 1862 we imported about 4,500,000 pounds of wool from Africa; in 1864 

 the importation was over 16,000,000 pounds. Before the year 1861 

 these wools had averaged at place of export but 13 cents per pound, 

 and the highest average of cost of the Buenos Ayres wools was in 1864, 

 when it was 15.1 cents per pound. Thus when these wools were 15 

 cents at Buenos Ayres they could be delivered at New York or Phila- 

 delphia, all freight charges and tariff paid, at about 21 cents a pound. 

 But there were some disadvantages in the use of this wool. It was 

 imported in the dirt, often filled with burrs, and, owing to the weakness- 

 of its fiber, lost much in the processes of manufacture; so that 2 pounds 

 as imported made only as much as 1 ^^ pounds of American clothing 

 wool in average condition. When put in the game condition with the 

 American wool it cost the manufacturer about 38 cents a pound, Let 

 the cost of wool in the United States markets be compared with this. 

 From 1827 to 1861 the average price was 50.3 cents per pound for fine, 

 42.8 cents for medium, and 35.5 cents for coarse, The flpe and medium 

 qualities, corresponding to Buenos Ayres or Mestiza wools, averaged 

 46^ cents, In 1864 a wool and woolen tariff was framed which imposed 

 a duty of 3 cents a pound on wools costing 12 cents and under at place 

 of export, and 6 cents per pound on those costing more than 12 cents and 

 not exceeding 24 cents. This tariff would not brin g the price of imported 

 wools up to the average American wool hj at least 3 cents a pound 



