322 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The county of Winnebago is the second county in the state in the 
extent and variety of its manufactures, so that it presents a good 
opportunity to study the advantage of a home market. Take the 
article of wheat for instance, and with its large number of flour¬ 
ing mill monopolists some are disposed to term them, and the de¬ 
mand for wheat caused thereby, as the farmers will, on an average 
obtain five cents a bushel above Chicago and Milwaukee prices 
for their wheat. The manufacturer is not the enemy of the far¬ 
mer; small politicians and some so-called political economists to 
the contrary notwithstanding. Whilst the greatest battle of the 
age is to be fought in favor of cheaper transportation, let us call in 
such auxiliaries as building up a home market and the growing 
of such products as pay the least for transportation. 
RACES AND VARIETIES OF SHEEP. * 
Dr. Fitzinger, in a paper to the Imperial Academy of Science 
in Vienna, upon the races of domestic sheep, gives Africa and 
Asia 106 races and sub-races of sheep, and to England 23 races 
and sub-races. But only a few of the different races of sheep 
particularly interest the American wool grower. 
The Downs .—Of this class the South Downs are the most com¬ 
mon in this country. They are not prized very highly for the 
quantity or quality of the wool they produce, but it is for the 
quality of their mutton, unsurpassed by any breed, and the ewes 
make excellent nurses for the rearing of early lambs; and near 
large towns, where such are in good demand, no doubt a small 
flock of South Downs can be made to pay well. 
The Combing Wool Sheep .—This class includes the Leicester, the 
Lincolns, the Cottswold and numerous crosses of these races and 
sub-races. They all produce a wool particularly adapted to comb¬ 
ing, a branch of woolen manufactures which is being rapidly ex¬ 
tended in this country. Combing wools command good prices in 
this country, and probably will do so for years to come. They 
require extra care and keep, and should not be kept in too large 
flocks. They are good mutton sheep, second to the Downs, but 
more valuable than the Downs for wool. They can never take 
the place of the Merinos for the production of clothing wool, but 
