The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-10-02
From the Western Citizen, Chicago.
Raising Of Sheep al lhe West.

We observe that our eastern friends are
complaining at the low price Of wooI.-
Tue prices range only about 25 to 80 crS,
and al these prices the farmers OF the East
thnk they canuol make LIVING business.
Oue of the reasons for the reduction of the
price, is the importation OF foreign wool,
which is lrauduIeutly entered through the
custom house as coarse wool. But auolh-
er, ard 4 more prominent reason for the
reduction Of the price, is the competition
in lis production from the West, which has
lately cone in as a new rival 10 the busl-
ness ia the East. The capacity of the
Wesl Tor The production Of wool, has bal
Just commenced developing itself And
ii OR eastern friends cannot afford to raise
wool al rs cents a pound, the competition
Of The West @ii ultimately rob them Of
Que of their principal staples. The opin
ION has heretofore prevailed that sheep
could DOT be raised, and wool probably
produced in the West. But such an opin-
ion has been proved 10 be erroneous. H.
Iuois is found TO be admirably suited in
climate and the immense paSturage on It's
PRIMES. for The raising OF sheep. They
thrive we'll on the prairie grass, aud wool
Of the very first quality is produced with
greater ease than n any parl o! the coun-
try. Through the summer they roam
over praires in floctis OF thousands, under
the Gaze Of shepherds, and viii get sub,
sis,tnce from the SOL us long as there IS
90 >uoW upon III ground For the short
period ia the winter, when the snow pro-
mbas lhtir picking up from the earth Their
subsistence, they have 70 be fed with hay
gathered 10 the summer from the prarics,
WIKI roots or grain. The expense of keep.
iug l!ock Through the season has been
es-lm3teI by those familiar with the mat
ter, Al fifty cents year Tor each head. II
wcol will bring in the market only rs Cts
a pound, it would be found profitable bu.
siness for our farmers to lalse 1t. They
have greatly The advantage over the east
ern farmers ia the miIdness Of the climate,
shoruess Of the winter, and the fact that
no capital is required TO be laid out for
pasturage. The pasturage OF the domes-
tic animals in this State, is as free rs the
water and the air, and it will be long
lime before our immense prairies vii be
fenced in and the grass claimed as private
property. Unnl that time, any man who
does not own a foot of land, cdn turn out
his flock under the care OF shepherd, to
feed over the vast range. The capital OF
the wool grower can then entirely bt laid
out in his flock, and he will reap profit
corresponding TO the number of head he
owns. Many of our farmers in the nle-
rior are getting large focks. There are
in this State so far removed
from market, that the production Of corn
aud wheat is not profitable, even when il
brings large price III market towns. in
Of the expense OF Transporting
these articles to market. In these settle
meats the farmers are fast increasing their
business, as the expense of carrying this |
article TO market is very trlfllng.-
The people ia the line region OF country
about Gl,esburgh, are already doing much |
in wool raising, and they have some OF
the largest and finest hocks that can be
found in any par. OF the State.
The advantage of wool over other agrI- |
cultural productions, in the expense of
to the eastern market, is |
much 10 its favor as great and staple
production of the Wes!. The expense OF
getting wheat to the eastern market, is
from rs to 80 per cent, while wool can be |
10 The same market for 8 or 4
per cent. on its value. This percentage
is so small as hardly to be worth cousid-
ering by the side OF the superior advanta.
ges r,roisng the article in this Slate
We think that wool will soon take place
by the side of wheat and pork and corn,
as one OF the staples OF the West; and our
neigbbors of Vermont will have TO turn to
some other business 10 take lis place, for
il is out of their power TO hold living |