Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-10-14
From, he Democratic Press.
TO THE PLANTERS AND FARMERS or
ivy rfrrrEn S-.-rc
A CLoTIiIER.-No. 2.


TIE UNITED STATES.
II is wonderful, that the profits of sheen
and zvooL have remained SO long unobserved
in the United States. This branch of farm
ing particularly suits our Country, becanse,
we have so great qualtity OF land, and 50
moderate a population in proportion to our
extensive territory. One mau, boy or " oman
can take care of many sheep. In Scotland,
the least fertile country upon earth, that se-
gacious, steady and energetic people produce
wool in their poorest counties, and sell il az
low as Is Cd and IS sterling for a stone Of
% and 20 pounds This is less than seven
cents per pound Oft wcol coarse hats
and bonnets, carpets, and stockings are made.
Ourpoorest districts are alln ilder than Scot
land and more fertile than one half fits sheep
districts. They are also much drier, which,
favers the health, flesh and wool u sheep.
With the extension Of sheep, the extension
of manufactures should and will 60 hand ~
hand. Manufactures are one of the hand
maids Of agriculture. Our steepest lime
stone lands are very favorable to sheep
They are SO healthy on that strong kind of
soil, as to thrive well on il, without salt
Since beef, pork aud grain may be low, II,
the ensuing year, because our vessels arg
captured, let us use our beef, veal and pork,
and feed our poultry with our grain for our
own table, and stare 2Kr .heet far one OF
,sro yenrs, and Ihus increase our stock Of
them. BY girdliny in all our lightly wooded
lands, we may open the surface OF the earth
to the air and sun and make good sheep pas
lures. The brush scythe viii cut up bram-
bles, briars & underwood. The brush scythe
or brush cutter would be better always in
our sheep keepers hands, than the Shepherds
Crook and pipe.
diminish our characterization. Sugarlands
are employing part of our Southern laborers,
who used to make tobacco, cotton, indigo,
rice and corn. SHEEP Will employ number
of hands, which were lately engaged in rais-
ing cotton, tobacco, hemp, indigo, rice and
corn. The poorest and bleakest lands in the
northern states may be brought into use for
sheep, tho too stony or too steep for the
plough. BY thus adopting new modes Of ag-
rculture, and new modes of industry, We
shall give ourselves a coMilLefe SELF Geae7I-
dence, under benign Providence.
1t is fact, (Which SMelaiy's Statistics Of
Scotland prove, and which Mr.. -4TrHIr
YonNg's English farming books conirm) that
our OAK barrehs and unwooded plains may
be probably applied to sheep. The brush
scythe, or other cutting instrument would
rapidly bring them into a condition for range
The burnt lands Of many neighborhOods
could De employed advantageously for sheep
walks.
The streams, which fall from our billy
lands, could be made, By little channels, to
water their sides and produce great quaint
ties Of grass in poor and stony and broken
grounds; good emplymeDt for the indus
trious shepherd.
rs mG7,tyactlres shon!d Be ever ia piev 10
SHffOrt the pa!He fsFooi, SHEEP and lands,
the trade OF dressing skins should be diffuSed
through all the counties, in the morocco stile.
and for book-buders aud others. A pound
Of leather gloves can be brought from the
state Of Ohio to Philadelphia for five cent
piece So Of pound or square yard of me-
rino superiue cloth.
-
See Sir Joho Sinelnir's books On Scotland an
IFS parishes, in seventeen volumes a work fiiH q
iHsfHCOa to the farmers, fresholdcrs and plsatsrf