Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-05-31


them over the country and improve the WOOL This
experiment, however, has not succeeded; nor has
another, undertaken for like purpose about 1910
when the King of England obtained from the Cor
ties of Spain larger flock of Marines, and dspers-
ed them through England. Various causes have
contributed to prevent the cultivation OF fine wool
iii England, but think the principal are these
The corn laws and protective duties of England
have given to the production of bread and meat for
their dense population, encouragement and boun-
ty which render that department of agriculture of
vastly more importance than any other. In order
TO raise wheat, the lands must be MANFRED It is
law OF nature that fine fleece never grows on a
large sheep. TO manure the land, the English far
mer cultivates turnps in large fields He folds his
sheep, which are OF large size, and can endure, I'M
housed, the English winter, on these fields and
they consume the turnips, and lie on the land, and
thereby manure the land, so that a crop of wheat,
worth on an average over two dollars per busheI
can be produced; and the sheep yield large car
casses of valuable mutton, averaging weight of
one hundred pounds each, which sells at eleven to
thirteen cents per pounds These sheep are of three
breeds, the Leicester, the Cheviot, and the South
Downs; all long wooded Sheep yielding fleece
OF from five to eight pounds, which is only used for
worsted and for coarse goods. The Marino sheep
are quite too small and weak to endure such treat
men or to promote such objects and therefore they
are not acceptable to English farmers, and do not
succeed. The English manufacturers are now still
dependant on foreign supply for all their wool for
fine broadcloths and kerseymeres
In Germany the experiment has been entirely
successful In the latter part of the last century
the Eector of Saxony procured from the King of
Spain a choice selected flock of Marines. The
Elector was an excellent farmer, and he improved
and enlarged this flock. 1t was soon satisfactorily
ascertained that the Marino did not degenerate in
Saxony and in l71S, he imported an additional
flock of three hundred, and from these has arisen
the Sarony sheep. They are improved Marines
This improvement has been produced by the mode
of treatment and feed that u.s. by constantly select
ing, entirely with regard to fineness of WOOL re-
CARELESS of symmetry or size, and by keeping them
sheltered from the severe heat of the sum- in sheds,
during some hours in the hot days of summer, and
IN warm buildings in winter, and feeding dry fod-
der, including grain, through the winter This has
rendered the sheep less, and the fleece finer, aver.
aging probably not over two pounds. From the
time of their introduction, to the peace of 1914,
these sheep were gradually spreading over the
kingdom of Saxony. When Europe was relieved
from its long protracted succession of continental
wars and the Germans returned to the arts of peace
their patient application, and discriminating perse-
vcrence, soon brought their country to an improved
condition of husbandry. Germany was soon found
sufficient not only to furnish its ownsuppy of wheat
and provisions, but to furnish large surpus and
these sheep spread into all parts of that country,
and have been long since extensively raised, not
only in Saxony, but in the Prussian and Austrian
states, in Bohemia and Hungary. For some years
their wool was all sold to the manufacturers of
France, Flanders, and England and from those
countries the Germans received their cloths and
other manufactures-more especially from England.
After some years, it was found that as England
would not receive the provisions of Germany which
was then their, as it is our, principal produc-
ton, Germany could not sustain this commerce. and
therefore they formed their commercial ilnion and
adopted a protective system Of duties which ena-
bed them to prosecute their manufactures with
success, and make home market for their produce
This has lost to England the German market for
her cloths and many other articles. John McGreg-
or Esq, Secretary of the Board of Trade, was sent
from England to Germany to inquire into, and en-
deavor to make some arrangement on this subject.
/ In lS40, he was examined before committee of
the House of Commons, and, among other matters
he testified: "Afer the year 1914, when the people
of Germany were compelled to become agricultu-
raliss, instead of being engaged as soldiers in the
course OF two or three years they produced great
superabundance of agricultural products and not
being able to find market for that produce either
| in England or France, in both which the high du-
ties shutting out that prodnce the excess of labor
| formerly employed in war, and afterwards in agri-
culture went into the manufactures of Westphalia
and Silesia. The argument they made use Of to
us on every occasion, both in Prussia and Saxony
and in the Rhenish states, and particularly at the
two congresses held at Munich and Dresden, was
this: You compelled us to become manufacturers
We have not mines of gold and silver, and you
would not take what we had to sell you. As you
would not take it, necessity compelled our people
to turn their attention to manufactures. The Ger
man grazier now exchanges his cattle and his beef
for fabrics with the home manufacturer and the
corn dealer and miller provide bread for the manu-
facturer, and take his goods in return. This was
the common saying in Prussia, where every man is
intelligent, and where every man thinks and where,
as as he sees an effect, he Immediately in
quires into the cause" Are we incapable of as
high a degree of discernment as these Germans /?
Cannot we profit by their intelligence and expert
ence? German broadcloths are now successfully
competing with English in the markets of the world
and with ours in market.
/ England, ever watchful of her interest, as ma
tons should be, has turned her attention to new
source of self-suppy. Having ascertaned that her
farmers will not use the fine woolled sheep, and
that supply from the continent was too much a
state OF dependence, attention has been turned to
her own colonies. At the sale of the Marine flock
of George ILL.,, in 1904, of which have spoken, q
few were purchased by Captain Macarthur, which
were carried TO New South Wales. In few years
it was ascertained that they succeeded well in that
country. large quantity Of the SaXony sheep
were then sent and SO rapid has been the increase,
that IN lS4l, there was imported into England, of
this fine wool, from Australia, that is from New
South Wales and Van Dieman's land, 100000
| lbs.a
This Australia wool has been imported into this
country in large quantities.
We will now take brief historic view of wool
in this country. Up to the commencement of the
Revolution, very little attention was directed to this
subject. Our people had few coarse wool sheep,
more kept for mutton than wool, and all woollen
cloths were furnished from England. Immediately
before the commencement of that war, and in anti
clpatlon thereof some exertions made to
attention to domestic manufacture of woollen cloth,
but the efforts were but in very slight degree sue
cessiul. Through the long protracted agonies of
that struggle, no one thing more contributed to the
severity of its sufferngs than the want of clothing
and blankets. In few years after the close of
that war, Europe became involved in wars which
continued, with but short Interruptions, until 1914
and during all that time, until we became involved
in 1912, we were the carriers of the world and
Europe readily took Of us, at high prices whatever
of agricultural produce we had to spare. In this
p..Ft