The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-07-08
Frow the Boston CuHiuator, an Agricultural paper.
When you have read it, tell your
neighbOr of i.

OF DC long continued Hence, the tremendous et-
fort of manufactures, next TO taking Congress by
storm, through the press, agents and committees
at Washington, to rdthemselves by high tariff laws
from foreign competition, and secure to themselves
the monopoly of the nome markrt. In this they
are wise, but an adequate market is equally i'm
portant to the farmer.
Since it is our province TO discuss snch matters
only, as effect directly the rights aud interests Of
the farmer, we wish it to be distinctly understood,
that we go for an equal protective system, though
our limits and the character of our paper obge us
to leave the general discussion of this subject to
other papers devoted to, and supported by the
various manufacturing interests of the country as
we are by the agricultural.
Facts which have recently come to our knowl-
edge, make it ouI duty to call the attention of the
public and our legislators to the condition and pros
poets of our wool-growcrs. Wool growing has al
ready become great business in the United States,
millions of capital are already invested the rcsour-
ces of this vast country, especially the far west
have not as yet begun to be developed in Sheep
Observation-Disclosures our annual wool prodact now
exceeds fifty million pounds, and has been worth
about 1900, 900. The number of Sheep in Yer
mont exceeds thirteen hundred thousand-in New
York, five millions three hundred lhousand-in
Pennsylvania three millions three hundred thou
sand, and in Virginia twelve hundred thousand,
and in Ohio, nineteen hundred thousand.
Now what arc the prosp' cts of this vast and
growing business Of the county' Ii is evident to
every man of sense, that the whole depends upon
an adequate market. We have before SAID, that
the wool growing business was already nearly
ruined by the importation of foreign ,cool admit-
ted duty free, such as come in competition in our
own market, with our wool of medium quality.
In this we were grossly deceived-we should have
said such us come in direct competition ,ciM our
,coOl Of erery quality.
We have before US now on our table six kinds
of wool imported duty free from South America,
furnished US AS samples by one of tho largest I'M
portcrs in the United States, which actually cost
in South America from 3 l-2 to less than 8 cents
per pound, and therefore all admitted duty
free.
The LIST kind is lons coarse wool about Z in
ches in length and about as inc as the wool OF onr
coarse long wool sheep, and such as Is mahnaclur-
ed into carpets, w2rsed, coarse blankets and No
gro clotlls-and comes in ti;'cct competition in OR
market with the wool of our Blackwell and other
course long wooded sheep. This sample is very
white and clean and may be afforded for II IL i2
sixteen cents per pound.
The I'd kind is a coarse wool Of Il fner grade,
full as good as the wool Of the best orour old fash
a middle grade Of sltinclts, coarse woolcns, and
common blankets. 1900 bales of this wool were
imported into the port of Boston, last week, duty
free If this wool be sold at one shilling per pound
it will afford tho importer over one hundred per
cent. profit. This wool by comparison is full as
fine as the wool we took from half Dishey and
half Irish corset eve, but not quite so long, and
may be made us white as the driven snow, by
washing alone, as we know by actual experiment
The 3D. is full as fine us our best half blooded
merino wool, and may be cleaned, as the importer
told us, from IL to cents per pound, either
by hand or machinery. This wool is good enough
for the second grade Of broadcolhs, cassimcres,
1anncls, and the first class of salnells, and may
be imported so that it shall moi cost the manu(lc-
'urer, when perfectly cleaned, twenty cents per
pound.
The 18th, same grade, full ofburrs and dirt, may
be cleaned for two cents per pound and may be
purchased abroad ut the loves! rate above stated.
The 5ih is Il sample of wool of about the same
grade as the above, shot and fine, cleansed in
South America, very white and clean. We were
surprised when the importer assured us, that this
very wool ,cas imported duty free, and cost in
South America, positively less than eight cents
per ID.
The 9Th is very similar to pure merno wool, and
the sample which we have washed in hot soap
suds, has become beautifully white and clean.-
This wool compares well will, some samples we
have from the Hon. Isaac c. Bates flock, and
others of the western part of this State. So fine
was this wool, tha, when compared with Mr. Bates
wool, we were unable TO decide which was the f.
nest and so we called in a third person. who de-
clared Mr. Bates little the finest but the differ
cncc wns llAing. This wool ,cas imported duty
free, while the rery cloths manufactured from this
wool by the compromise act, have been protected
by duty ranging from so to 81 IL per cent,
Io,vn 4, limo 1912 Is this The jusIice our public
men render unto The farmer! If so, tell us what
you call injustice.
Our annual product of wool is just about equal
to our annual consumption, and under n just tariff
giving the farmer an equal protection with our
sheep husbandry would expand E.
quaIly with our manufactures, and the farmer grow
r;,h o,unIIv fact