Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-05-14
AZ RICULTU X AL.
FROM THE SOUTHERN PLANTER.
WOOL-GROWING IN VIRGINIA.

ed the produce of their exhausted fields 'growin
smaller by degrees, and beautifully CD less" ths
they have been compelled to cast about for relief
They see the husbandman Of New England, SIT
ting COSTLY by his fireside, with content written
his brow and plenty In his hand. How is this
They know that his valleys unproductive. ant
his hills bleak and sterile But they look out ,,pol
his farm and they not sickly tobacco, nor with
ering corn, nor dropping wheat, but his fields viii
tened with flOcks of sheep and enlivened with the
gambols of frisking lambkins. In his house they
see his young ''hopes" snugly enveloped in soft
flannels-his board crowned with savory legs Of
mutton, and his dame and daughters mingling theil
voices with the comfortable music of the spinning
wheel, while the hills comes the clatter Of
! neighbOrlng machinery.
Our farmers, we glad - find, are beginning
/ TO consider and appreciate all this They are ava.
/ keamg us from dream; determined to sleep no
longeij but be up and doing; opening their fields
fJr flocte of acoot groce,s. and their Golfers for
''golden feeces.'
Old mother Virginia. who long saw her migrate
iul sons descrting her in the hour of need Cnany
of them going into distant lands, like the prodgal
son of old, to feed swine, rather than remain at
home to feed sheep,) envying; too, her younger sis
ters OF the North their contened families Of spin
mig iennies, and prod;gal sons. Feeling this deep
ly, the old lady could but draw her old arm chair
closer TO the fading lights upon the hearth-sto
and mourn that she should thus be left to pine a.
way, while yet the honors of her past days were
green in her memory. But now this respectable
old matron has left Off her reveries; has wiped the
dust from her specacles. and is gazing intently and
with kindlng eye, upon the flocks which her sons
are bringing on her lands.
| confidently believe, Mr. Editor, that wool
growing and par consequent wool manufacture,
will be the most efficient means of restoring Vir-
ginia perhaps the only elixir that can regenerate
her fast waning energies. Agriculture, confined to
the production of breadsufs and provisions cannot
l,n lnn,r rt,l,l
for such produce cannot keep pace with the supply.
The great West is every day opening wider her
fertile valleys 10 tempt the agriculturists of the
world. The far larger proportion OF the rapidly in
creasing population Of the United States, naturally
turn their attention to the agriculture of the West.
Thus the supply of breadstutis, and provisions pc
nerally, is on an exceedingly rapid increase. In
order then for this business to be proftable it is
necessary that the demand, market, for this pro-
duce should also increase rapidly. The markets
of the whole world could he supplied from thi,
country-but the markets of the world should be
opened free. Besides, large numbers of our people
should be engaged in other than grain growing pur-
suits. The cotton planters, and tobacco planters
should confne themselves exclusively to that branch
of agriculture.
But have all this necessary demand? Fo-
reign markets, Great Britain, chiefly supply
themselves. The British market is not open free
TO our produce. If it were, it Is known fact that
the shores of the Baltic sea, have always supplied
breadstufls to the British, lower rate than the
United States could do. Thus our farmers must
mainly depend on our home market. But, as has
already been limited, very large proportion of our
population is engaged in other than grain growing
pursuits. Hence a very small number is dependent
on the farmer for bread. But more Is this small
proportion on the increase? Certainly not in the
ratio of the agricuturists Hitherto the cotton and
tobacco planters constituted respectable part of this
'srnall proportion" But now ii is probable that tho
supply of cotton is equal to the demand, owing to
the vast extension of cotton planting in the South
ern States and Texas, and also its successful cult
walton in other parts of the world. The conse-
quence of this will be reduction of the profits of
the cotton growers, and that he will employ por-
ton of his force in raising breadstuffs, Sc. So
with the tobacco planter-more especially in Vir-
GINA. His land has been exhausted by the exclu-
sive cultivation of the plant; which with the in
creased production C! 1t in new and fertile soils,
Will force him also TO turn his attention to raising
least his own supply Of provisions.
These influences combined eifectinr greatly
increased supply, and probably, diminished de-
mand, must 50 operate, long greatly to reduce
the price of farming products. If the business be
barely profitable now, what will it be then j.?
IL be correct In my premises and differences, SO
far then, 1t Will require prophet to divine what
Will follow. Let us contine Our attention to Vr-
gina. In the severe competition which must en-
sue, her worn out lands cannot stand against the
fertile soil Of the West in the production of bread
stulis. The example of New England will then
be followed Sheep will be introduced But a.
gain. We always have had enough, and to spare,
of grain mills SO when many farmers have ceased
to raise grain, and begun to grow wool, the flour
mills Will then many of them be turned into wool
len factories. That this will be the case, may be
readily inferred since it is, to a considerable extent
even now the case. We hear almost daily OF flour
mills being converted into wooen factories. and
grain farms turned into sheep walks, and some Vir-
gnlanS enjoying an income OF four thousand dollars
| from wool growing.
! There are then many reasons why Virginia
should be a wool growing State. There are also
reasons 10 show that she can be one. Her climate
and soil are said by experienced wool growers to
render her better adapted to sheep rearing, than
! perhaps any other State in the Union. Certainly
/ lar better adapted than the Northern States vet
! there wool-growlng bias heretofore been eminently
successful over all difficulties. The winters in Vir-
/ GINA are some months shorter, and much milder
! than lii New England. Less expense is required
to feed shoep-less TO shelter them, and less care
and trouble 10 raise them. Then why should not
/ Virginia raise sheep?
| The question is, what kinds of sheep are
most profitable TO raise -? would answer, undoubt-
edly the Spanish Nlcrnos. They have the advan-
/ tage over the Saxon, Ill that they are harder-of
stronger constitutlons-nuch easier to raise and
have much heavier feeces. The Saxon wool is
finer III iibre, but this advantage is more than com
! pcnsatcd by the other differences in favor of the
Spanish Mcrno. These Merinos are also greatly
/ preferable to the common scrub sheep-live longer
-@breed much lOngcr-are harder-their feeccy
are much heavier--nuch finer and bring much
more money
There are other varieties OF sheep The South
! Downs, valuable for mutton Blackwell, raised also
/ Tor mutton. and their long wool for woFsted, &C.
| The Spanish Pauler and Gaudaloupe Meriuos