The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-03-01

quantity oil feed. Tbs raising of sheep has
not been very good business lately, owing to
the low price OF wool: but, perhaps, il has
been as good as most other branches Of farm
ing. A cause Of the low prices and of need
of better protection, may be found in the fol-
lowing statistics.
The growth Of wool in the United States is
, probably not less than forty millions of pounds.
} 1t may be assumed that ,one half Of this a.
; mount is worked up in our manufacturing es.
. Establishments.
, The importance of this branch of agricultu.
industry. is not only great, considered of ITSELF
but in its effect on the other branches of agri-
cultural labor. If the farmers are driven from
the wool-growing business, by low prices of
WOOL then the dairy and beef. growing bust
ness will become depressed from over produc.
lion of those great staples.
Ii is well known to The farming interest. that
at the present time. the price of wool is very
much depressed. and that our wool growers
are generally DESTROYS Of getting out of that
Kind OF farming; and it might be useful to en-.
qutre into all the causes that have tended 10
this depression.
by the compromise Of the tariff question. in
1872. all foreign wool costing at the place from
whence imported, less than eight cents pound,
was admitted free of duty. There was i'm
ported IL The year endingi Sept. 1882, 5.452-
sSSIb'. out OF this amount were exported
l.227 ,s5Glbs.; leaving less than three millions
OF lbs. 10 be consumed in this country.
The importation of wool has gradually in.
creased since the time. In the year ending
Sept. Both, 1888, there was imported $685.
800 lbs 1851, l2S of which were imported
tree OF duty. In the year ending Sept. Both,
1888, there was imported 7,s24,54S lbs. T..
o,ol9 OF which were imported free of duty
only 9,S0O lbs. were exported during the
same year. Mr.. P has not been able 10 as.
certain the importation of wool in the years of
1910 and al. We NAV, however, from
known facts about the importation of wool,
calculate the amount imported in the last
year TO exceed ten millions pounds; an amount
equal to about one half of what is raised by
our farmers in this country to be sold to the
manufacturers.
Here we have principal cause of the great
depression of the p.ice of wool at this time.
Frauds are practiced in the importation of
foreign wool, which defraud the government
of revenue and Cypress a large agricultural
interest. This is done by mixing, in the for
eign country, dirty and coarse wool with bet
ter qualities, and even dirt is mixed with the
wool, so that the compound is worth less than
eight cents, also by importing it on the skin
in filthy state.
This wool, much of it, is as good ns the
lower grades of our own fleece wool, and all
of it takes the place of just such an amount of
American raised wool.
1t may be said justly, that the price of wool
is as high as manufacturers can afford to pay,
with the present price of cloths. Still the
farming interest ought not to be sacrificed to
the manufacturing interest the one ought to
be as much protected as the other. This is a
subject which calls for the immediate action
of Congress to correct the evil.-N. E. Far
mer.
PLoUGHING.-Let not a rood of land be
ploughed in the field, nor a yard be turned by
the spade in the garden when the earth is wet,
or before il will fall and crumble lightly. If
it is, it will lay heavy and clamy all summer.
The object in ploughing is to let in the air. and
pulverize the soil this can not be done when
the land is wet and heavy. 1t should be PLAN
ted as soon as possible after being moved for
the action of the air is to produce fermentation,
which is wanted to warm the seed and cause
it to terminate. If planting is delayed long
after ploughing or digging. the fermentation
has ceased, or greatly abated, and the plants
will be more tardy in coming forth and will
passes less vigor We repeat, don't plough
too soon; wait patiently ill the soil is in pro-
per condition, and then plant as soon after
ploughing and narrowing as possible. Lots
designed for later planted crops should not be
ploughed till planting time.-.Maine Caltirator.
HONESTY THE BEST PoLIcY.-A farmer called
on Earl Fitzwilliam to represent that his crop of
wheat had been seriously injured in field ad
joining certain wood where his hounds had,
during the winter, frequently met to hunt He
stated that the young wheat had been so cut up
and destroyed, that in some parts he could not
hope for any produce. Well, my friend, said
his Lordsbip, am aware that we have fire.
quently met in that field, and that we have done
considerable injury, and il you can procure an
estimate Of the loss you have sustained, will le-
pay YOU The farmer replied, that anticipating
his Lordship's consideration and kindness, he
had requested friend to assis. him in estimat-
ing the damage. and they thought, that as the
crop seemed quite destroyed, fifty dollars would
not more than repay him. The Earl Immediate
j. gave him the money. As the harvest, howev-
er. approached, the wheat grew, and in those
parts of the field, that were trampled, the corn
was the strongest and most luxuriianf. The
farmer went again to his Lordship, and being in
troduced' said am coming, my Lord, respect
ing the field ofwheat adjoining such a wood'
He instantly recollected the circumstances
"Well my friend, did not allow you sufficient
to remunerate you for the loss eyes, NV
Lord have found that have sustained no loss
at all; for where the horses had most cut up the
land the crop is most promising, and have,
therefore brought the fifty dollars back again."
| Alp exclaimed the venerable Earl, this is
what like; this is what ought to be between
man and man." He then entered into converse
lion with the farmer, asking him some questions