THE SOUTHERN PLANTER.. 



153 



Let us look at the wool producing colonies of 

 England. That of New South Wales, estab- 

 lished in 1787, under all the disadvantages of 

 her convict and criminal population. In the 

 year 1841, (a period of fifty-four years from 

 her first settlement,) she imported into England 

 7,993,060 lbs. of wool; while her more infant 

 establishment of Van Dieman's Land, sent into 

 the mother country 3,507,531 lbs. — and it is 

 worthy to remark, that the first ship landed in 

 that island did not take place till 1807. The 

 total amount of wool imported into England 

 during the year 1841, was 56,170,974 pounds, 

 (which is presumed to be equal to the amount 

 grown in that country) — making a total of 

 112,341,948 lbs. It also appears, that there 

 was at the close of the year, 6,912,060 lbs. of 

 foreign wool in bond, and presuming that there 

 were about the same amount of home grown 

 wool unmanufactured, the amount used in the 

 manufacturing establishments of England for 

 1841, would be as near as possible 100,000,000 

 pounds. 



We have not at hand any report of the 

 amount of wool grown in the United States in 

 1841, though we have of that of her imports, 

 which it appears was 1 1,409,764 lbs. In 1839, 

 the wool grown in this country was 34,812,114 

 lbs.; and the probabilit}^ is, that the amount was 

 not much increased in 1841, which if we take 

 as a data to work upon, we have a total of 

 47,211,878 pounds, being nearly one half the 

 amount manufactured by England that year. 



Our imports of manufactured woollen goods, 

 from England alone, in that year amounted to 

 $1,521,880, or $1,366,338— so says the par- 

 liamentary report. What amount we imported 

 from Germany, France, &c., we are at present 

 uninformed of. That France is manufacturing 

 extensively, and that she is short of the raw 

 material, we are assured from the fact of her 

 having agents through the whole Western and 

 South- Western States, engaged in the purchase 

 of every quality of wool ; and taking all these 

 circumstances into consideration, we have this 

 state of things presented before us : 



First, that as a pastoral people withal, and 

 beyond the necessary resources under our con- 

 trol, we do not grow sufficient wool for our own 

 use, but import upwards of $10,000,000 worth 

 of manufactured woollen goods yearly to meet 

 our demand for that article, besides a large pro- 

 portion of the unmanufactured material. That 

 as a commercial people, upon which we pride 

 ourselves, we are too careless to take advantage 

 of and meet the wishes of a good customer for 

 an article which we can raise in the greatest 

 abundance, and a certainly larger amount of 

 profit than any people. Will not our farmers 

 reflect on these things? Once again, with a 

 view to drawing their attention to the subject, 

 we inform them that every farmer in the Slate 

 Vol. V.— 20 



can have cash for every ounce of wool he can 

 raise, at more than remunerating prices ; that 

 one house in Nashville alone is authorized to 

 purchase one million of pounds — indeed, an un- 

 limited amount for French exportation ; that, 

 home consumption must necessarily increase ; 

 that, with ordinary attention, the quality and 

 staple of the wool itself will be so improved as 

 to produce a greater return ; that our particular 

 section of country is better adapted to sheep- 

 raising than any other in America ; that our 

 climate is such that we can do all Spain or 

 Australia can accomplish ; that indeed nothing 

 is wanting but the judicious action of the far- 

 mers of Tennessee in the improvement of their 

 breed of sheep, and an expansion of their flocks, 

 to insure themselves and the State at large a 

 position unequalled in the annals of agricultural 

 history. — Tennessee Agriculturist. 



Every thing that can be said of Tennessee 

 and Nashville, is true of Virginia and of Rich- 

 mond. We have here now a large woollen fac- 

 tory in progress, and we have been promised 

 from the most competent hand an article upon 

 the subject of wool growing in Virginia, that, 

 if we mistake not, will exercise a powerful in- 

 fluence upon this department of agricultural 

 labor. 



For the Southern Planter. 



ANOTHER AGRICULTURAL CLUB. 



Mr. Editor, — Knowing the great interest you 

 feel in the cause of agriculture, I take pleasure 

 in informing you, and through the Planter (if 

 you think it advisable) the public generally, of 

 the organization of a Farmers' Club, a few- 

 miles below the city of Richmond. Our Club 

 is composed of Chickahominy farmers of both 

 sides, and we, therefore, call it the "Henrico 

 and Hanover Chickahominy Farmers' Club." 

 Our Constitution requires that we meet once 

 every month, except the winter months, at the 

 farms of the members in rotation. We have 

 had two very pleasant meetings and have insti- 

 tuted, or rather initiated, several very interesting 

 experiments, which we think ma}^ lead to im- 

 portant results. Apart from the great benefit to 

 agriculture which these Associations unques- 

 tionably produce, not the least important result, 

 is the kindly interest created among neighbors 

 in each other's general welfare. 

 Yours, respectfully, 



John R. Garnett. 



May 28, 1845. 



LARGE CHESTS. 



Horses that are round, or " banel-chested," 

 are invariably more muscular and enduring than 



