Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-08-20
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MISCELLANEOUS.
lyon, the Farmsrs' L,breryl
IEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH


DEMAND AND SUPPLY.
Amount Of Wool which may be- grown in the South
erp States the demand Is already suppieu whefe Is
Il 10 And market ?? The cheaper Producer can drive
hIs ysl from The market, unless The disparity o Lapi-
TAI ia greatly against h,nin inulviduai capital the
South possesses the aiva".tcc over tue norm . ne
on,b can produce Wool cheaper than New Nurth
m latitude AGO there will hale difference in the cost
of producing WOOL. Cost Of producing II IN New Eng
land-Pennsylvania-N 1eraey-oh,o.. Inc rialiies
Their vast Extcnt-Ther anticipated Advantages FOR
Sheep Hushandry-Flocks driven on them-Ant.cipi-
lions blasted Tar keeping sheep economically On
the Natural Grasses is concernedCharacter oil thr
Prairie Flourish but during short season. rem
dernp the time Of foddering longer than even IN New
England Another Diiicnity-rhe Wild Grasses which
ents of Editor Of the Prairie Farmer Imatnry
OF this and Of IN relation to the length Of
the time of iodderng.. His proposition to Introduce
Reasons ug over the Prarie--o,jectioos..
Indifferent quality of Prairie Hay. Principal AdvanIa
re Of the pai-es for sheep hn>eandry narrowed dow
70 two-Cheapness of Latd-Pfviiege OF Pasuring The
PUBLIC Lands The latter Advantage rapidly lessenns
Cost OF Preparing The Pairies for sheep uusbandry-
Materials for Fences, Buildings and Fuel entirely want
inc on the int -riur uf them Coal for Fuel plenty, but
moi economically available .Fences-ihose of eartn In
adequate ences 10 protect them while
rrowinp-Ther success then doubtful. Timber may
he ryon Tor all of the above purposes but would
the cost of The lad above those of the Sheep Lands u
new YORK and New England The Shepherd System
~. snhstm. e for Fences-when the Sheep become
numerous, II would COS, more TO Keep them IN separate
Anchx than frncea In the East PdSiurIng IN Com
mn cnQSluereI-Int
any ordinary purpose of Sheep ausbandIy-There
would be no protection against theft. prcmscuous in-
terbreedne untiE-iy imptrgnation-No way Of effrc-
tuny combating contagious disorders Natu-
raj and removable Objections to the PrairiesWant
OF Water-A Climate far more tickle and excessive than
in the Eastern States Shown BY mo record othe Their
momerical kept NJ the Military Posts Of
The United States. These coinpared WOOL growing In
Mexico-fn South America
Dear SIR: In recommending the productions
nj Wool on a scale so extensive in the Southern
lnnc IN 4 affa
the fact should not be lost sight Of that were these
Recommendations couplied with. one OF the great
staples of commerce would be enormously in
creased. The Southern Slaies-the len. 10 which
| have confined all my preceding remarks aud
eslimates-,o say nothing OF those IN The same
attitudes y.st OF the Mississpp-inc'uoe An area
Of $50. GOO square miles, or 2SS. 000.0C0 sQaaTe
acres. Allow one-eighh of thus region to be in
a state of cuivation,t or in natural pastures, and
we have 100000 acres which could be more
or less devoted to the growth Of wool As
sumipg that, on the average, every two acres
would. under proper liliage, support one sheep,
(which. il seems 10 INC, they might do with
no yery material dininuiicn OF present staples, J
and that the sheer average three pounds per
fleece, The annual prodnc. OF wool would DC
so 600 900 lbs. This amount might be indie.
fpi,ey added 10, BY diminishing the production
of present staples. How far This could be econo-
m,cally done, experience mus, determine.
If we conccde the adequacy OF The present sup.
ply OF wool 10 Tie demand, taking Inc world TO-
selher. i, is apparent that an increase OF 3d. IS,
or 100 millions OF pounds, in one quarter, will
produce an oversnpply, (and thus greatly &c.
nress prices. unless me, ~ an increased demand,
or n corresponding diminuIion in production, in
some other quarter. | do n. concede The AIDE.
suacy OF the present supply, bat shall, however,
waive that point.
The question now arises, where is the wool
thus produced 10 find market, II the Souh
should, within the next len, fifteen, or twenty
wears, furnish such 4 surpus2 where is the
present supply 10 be diminished, or the demand
increased
Where agricultural competition exists, as a
matter of course the producer who can supply
the market with The least expense to himself, has
an advantage which nothing but disparity great
ly aeains, him in capital can overcome. Lalge
capital. satisfied with less gains Than small capt.
,al will sometimes sustain competition with the
later, with the advantages OF The cheaPness Of
production semcrhot against II. But where The
difference in fist cosl is considerable, the cheaper
producer can always drive his rival from the mar
ke.. The aggregate agricultural caPnal IN re-
zion OF given siz. in New York, probably won!
Ordinarily exceed that of an equal territory in
South Carolina or Georgia. Blu! i is mol So with
individual or personal capital. While The asri-
cultural territory and capabilities oil The latter
States are 10 comparatively few hands, those Of
New York and New England are parcelei out
among multitude Of small holders who must
realize The frs, class OF agricultural profits, TO
suppor, themselves and their families. The ad-
vantage OF capital is, therefore, in reality on The
side oil the South.
hui independent of this consideration, have
already attempted 10 show that,he South can pro-
,luce wool 50 much cheaper than New York, that
The latter will Stand no chance whatever in co!n-
ne,ine with her more favored rival-so soon as
maj rival sees fiji TO avail herself OF her advan-
taees. NorM eflatitndc 40 degrees Msrc ciHb 6at
ltiie disparity in tie cost Of producing COO; and
therefore. il The South can drive New York 10
relinouish the production of this staple, she can
do the sd me with al, portions c: the United STATES
living North Of this parallel, unless on The shores
al The Pacific, wnere he isobermal line is al
Least s degrees North oi its course Fast Vi the
Missouri will now en.c' upon some sPeclica-
,iuns and, where necessary, proofs 10 sustain ihis
proposition.
Nex England has, conceiedy, no advantages
over New York for the cheap production OF wool.
Northern Pennsylvania is higher, colder, and
more sterile than most OF Southern New York -
Southeastern Pennsylvania, and the ierlle por.
lions OF New Jersey, are The natural producers oil
breads,utfs Tor The less favored regions OF thoSs
York City and Philadelphia markets The high
price which good lands bear in the vicinity o;
such markets. would prevent them from Compel
ing with cheap interior lands in wuol-growing-
There are sheep lands Of good quality in western
Pennsylvania and in the southern section the
winlers are percepby lille shorter than in n.
York. This will render the production OF wool
upon them somewhat less expensive than in the
latter State. but will no; reduce il low enough 10
n orhs LAM ond
.till shorter winters oil the south. The same re-
marks will apply 10 the billy region constituting
the southeastern portion OF ONO
Proceeding still farther west, we flnd region
ex,endingL, a vast distance, whose toposra phical
and geological features, fora, &c, taken 10 con-
neclion e9ectua!y distinguish il from the teII.'o'
ry lying east Of The Mississippi and Ohio. Vas'
plains, called pra,ries. ESQ named by The early
French settlers from the French word sisnitHins
meadow which can be purchased OF the govern
meut In the natural state for 81 IS per acre, ana
which are usually covered with natural grasses
would seem, if those grasses are adapted 10 The
summer aud win:er subsistence ofshsep and there
are no coun;erbalauc;ng disadvantages, 10 unite
facilities for the cheap production 81 wool not pos.
sessed in any other region OF our country. Ala
such super oritv has actually and often been
claimed tor them.
propose 10 investigate IBIS question a! con-
siderable length, because there arr various con-
siieratIoas which, L, tirS, view Give great Plaza
sibili'y 10 This claim. And it Tie p!air,es can
proiuce wool cheaper m The South, ii is Ii vain
Tar lie later 10 embark in the business least
beyond the extent supply Ing The home demand
for 50 li.less is the extent OF these natpra! rss-
lures ,hroughout,he whole Northern basin of The
Nine, besides that portion Of Louisiana sss Of she
Mississippi.
Probably the amount in cultivation, ine'na.he ma
g.. r,,ur, Il sst down pretty hlsh. IL MAY nc