The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-04-13

| therefore no charactes to sustain as flock
masters, il is very appareat from the laws OF
trade, that however bad may be the condition
Of their wOol-unless il is separated in The
market from that of others, who are truly
flock-masters, it will more or less, according
TO its quantity, materially affect the price
of the other, though superior article. To
show clearly that | am not mistaken in this
position, allow me TO direct your attention to
the unwashed and filthy wool imported last
year, costing under cents per pound, and
| its influence in regulating prices was
shown imported wool by manufacturers
which cost him in the condition that it then
was I3 conts per lib. Yet it was equal in ap-
pearance to American wool worth 50 cents
per ID. Owing TO the shrinkage Of this wool,
however. it took 3 lbs. Of it to make one lb.
when 1t twas worked into cloth, which there
fore was equivalent TO 80 or 40 cents per H.
American wool worth 35 cents per 10. will
shrink about l-2 m its preparation for cloth,
and therefore cost when it is cloth about Az
or Al cents per ID. Ii is, therefore, apparent
that tins filthy, foreign wool. last year, had a
material influence in ruling The market-prce
OF American wool Of medium quality.
Tag locks, filth and Irvine cannot enhance
the value of any portion of the wool in mar
ket; nor ought system to be longer tolera-
ted that makes little or no difference in the
price Ofwool thus basely contaminated, and
wool wholly free from censurable impurities.
Look at the consequence; the price obtained
may adequately remunerare The grower Of
the one, while TO the grower Of the other il
is utterly ruinous.
The one keeps his samll flock poorly and
cheaply by the road side or oil the refuse of
his farm, while the flock of the other con
sumes the entire or chief product of the farm,
and the wool it yields is the only or main
crop that it's owner carries 10 market. To
each therefore the same price will not bring
the same returns. The one NAV and will
probably continue to raise wool in his small
way, without any material change in its con-
dition, whatever may be the result Of any ef-
Tort to alter the absurd practices of the wool
trade. But the other cannot and will moi
long Persevere as a wool grower, unless there
is an alteration: and if the present sheep
walks are in consequence turned into plough
fields, the ordinary farmer will in his turn
experience the ruinous consequences of neg
ectins studiously TO foster such modes Of
marketing wool as will secure to each shep-
herd an exact recOmpense for his skill and
care. Ii may be possible for the agricutur-
al products OF the country to sink still lower
in value than they now are. Perhaps there
is margin enough ioi great depreciation IN
prices; but it will sooner or later become nee
essary for the manufacturer to inquire wheth-
er his interests will be promoted or prejudio-
ed, by having the farmers Of the United
States become merely Pesants. Nav he not
so depreciate the value of wool that he will
ultimately injure himself.
Until the letter Of Mr.. Gay, nothing has
ever before been said, that am aware of.
about the necessity Of sorting neeces for mar
ket, According TO Mr.. Gay, wool destined
to European markets, must be sorted, else
the fullest advantage will not be realized nom
the venture. Nor is il less certain, that an
unnecessary loss IS annually submitted to by
the neglect or rather the impossibility, under
the present system, of doing the same thing
with heeces destined for home eonsump-
ton. The necessity Of sorting in the one
case springs out of the division Of manufac-
turing labor. The division OF tine labor it is
true is not carried as far with us as with for
eigners, it nevertheless exists TO great ex.
tent-is daily becoming moro perfect. and
from the necessity of the case, must ultimate
ly be as complete here as elsewhere. But
even ds things now are it is not difficult 10
show that the sorting ofthe Of fleece. W DOL is
requisite TO prevent al otherwise unnecessa-
~ loss TO the wool growers.
One factory that can name. values a Ger
tain description Of wool only at 81 cents per
ib., because it is unsuited to their style OF
goods; while the very same wool is valued in
another factory at 40 cents per ID. for the OPP
pOsite reason.
Here is the evidence, in ono case at least
thar i'll this country, as in England. the man
ufacturer undertakes the wool brought to
his factory for sale.
Again The Mousselin dc Laine manufacture
ers IN some instances used wool of precisely
the market value with the satinct maker
But the style Of the WOO is different; the sta
pie ofthe one being longer than that of the
other.
The interest of both would be promoted
by sorting wool, not only as TO its quality and
the condition of the fleece. but also as to
style, and undoubtedly both would be willing
TO pay trfle more per Id "a trihe it is true
but success often depends upon TITLES.
The staplers OF satinet factories and other
manufacturers of coarse fabrics. frequently
collec; large stocks of wool of quality used
only by the manufacturers Of broadcloth.-
Yet for this superior wool no more has heen
paid b, the satinet maker than for that of ill.,
ferior quality, which is perfectly well adapted
to his purpose. have before me the evil
deLce Of one case. where an advance Of 90
cents per Id. was obtained by manufacturer
of satineis, for of quality too good for his
purpose. So also the makers Of mousselin
de LANES, purchase large quantities of wool
in order to select from it only that which has
sufficient length of staple to suit the purpose;
the residue is disposed of 10 others. A com
pany can be named who annually use 100000
lbs. of moussclin dc aine wool, and yet buy
SO, 900 lbs. 10 select from.
Those manufacturers the require the best
and the finest wool for their goods, are COM
PEELED, under the existing practice, to buy
large quantities of wool unsuted TO their pur-
pose. An establishment can be named that
has $50. 900 lbs. Of wool now OH hand, thus
obtained, and which they will gladly return To
the farmer at cost. The MddIesex Compa-
nv use annually one million pounds of wool;
what then must be the amount of surplus
wool purchased by them!