The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-05-27

agricultural Rooms,
Albany, June l.
: j. M, SHERWOOD, Esq, President Of the ~.
~ Y. S. agricultural Society;
DEAR SIR.-In my last stated that many
farmers " were in hot haste to change the
character Of their focks." Inquiries much
extended since that letter was written, show
that the change is going on quite as rapidly
as had been anticipated.
Allow me, therefore, to utter word of
caution on that subject. 1t is surely evident
: that the manufacturers require varieties of
r wool for their purpose; fine as we'll as coarse
long staped as well as short
Absurd then it is for farmers to disregard
this fact and rush hurriedly into the produc-
ton of only one kind of wool. They must ex-
ercise a wise foresight in determining what
= are likely to be the future demands of the
ponding course. Hasty and inconsideratc
changes will work evils both to the individual
and the community that cannot be rapidly or
easily corrected. Men who have been for
years patiently and carefully improving their
Aocks can at single blow destroy that
which time care and toll only can restore. But
let them prudentlv exhaust the subject by in
vestigation before taking an almost irrctrieY-
able step.
| find that the holders of the largest focks
are mainly the growers of fine wool any ma
terial change in the character Of these tlocks
then will seriously augment the quantity Of
medium wool in this market. But this de-
scrption of wool already constitutes the bulk
of the clip in market, and further augmen-
tation will inevitably be followed by a deprc-
citation in price
) 1t is stated, by Mr., Gay, and the money ar
{ ticles Of various newspapers, that the incom-
ing clip will excede that of last year. These
writers differ widely in their estimates Of the
increase some placing it very low, others
making it excessive. They all, however,
agree that in consequence Of the increase
; there must be a reduction of price. 1t is not
my purpose to admit or deny the truth Of
their statements Whether they are right or
, wrong, am quite convinced, from extensive
inquiries, that there was no excess of fine
wool produced last year, nor is there likely to
be any excess this year.
t The price of wool last year was from eight
! to ten cents per pound less than the year
previous, and was purchased at an average OF
about thirty-three cents per pound, yet chips
of fine wool from Ohio were sold as high as
J sixty-cight and half cents per pound; and
from actual inquiry find that numerous clips
from this state were sold at torty-tive, fifty,
fifty-four and ffty-seven cents per pound
: while it is well known that thousands Of
, pounds of fine wool were imported, which
, cost the importer much more than the hiSheS'
price named.
Washington county, Pa and the neighbor-
5 inc portions of Virginia, abound in fine wool
of an excellent character; yet the proprictors
of these focks had been in the habit OF get
ting only thirty-fve to forty cents per pound.
A manufacturer of great eminence sent his
r wool sorter into that county to become &C
uuainted with the character of the different
CLIPS. and last year. Notwithstanding the de-
, pressed state of the market, this wool sold for
} an enormous advance from the prices Of pre-
vious wears, enhancing materially the price
of PENNSYLVANIA sheep, and producing for
them suddenly an active demand. In these
e eases, it is true, the condition ofthe fleece and
2 the quality of the wool was carefully attend
ed to in sorting; had it been otherwise the
parties would have felt as severely and as UNI
necessarily the consequences OF glutted and
n depreciated market as did their neighbors
c who were less discreet or less fortunate, as
i the case may be.
- More than this, manufacturers are row
|" saving that wool must again reccdc in price
notwithstanding which many OF them arc
making inquiries for fine wool from those very
G agents whom they are instructng to buy a
e prices reduced from last year.
+ There can be no doubt then thatthc mark
l. ct for fine wool is not yet oyerstocked. IhoS'
e growers of fine wool who have been lead by
II bitter experience to different conclusions
y would do we'll to inquire whether their loSse
u are not rather attributable to the mode II
II which their clips were sold than to the mark
I u Il lirrnf fhair ptlDpt
It rather to remcdying the palpabc absurdlte
If of the wool trade, than to irretrievably de
1t stroving the character Of their tlocks.
h II is certain that the price for medium WOO
% has been enhanced by the quiet submission o
l. the grower Of fine wool to the dictation 0
the wool Spectator. His object is to bu.
v wool without regard to quality, as cheap a
r, possible, and if he can bring fine and medl
d UNI wool to nearly the same standard, he IS
y gamer even though he pays a little more 10
medium wool than he otherwise would, to ac
y complish his purpose-for he saves largely OF
n tbe price of fine wool, which he thus deprecl
ates. To the farmer this is not very appar
Of ent. but is we'll understood by the stapler'-
a In stapling wool he makes ten Sorts to each O
r which price is affixed. In the three or tou1
lower numbers the difference in price be
II tween any one number and one next aooV'
1t is barely three or four cents-but in tn tn
of three or four higher numbers of the SCALE TIL
ID difference is ten cents, and with some it Is a
o. hloh as fifteen cents.
st Nor is this ala difference of a few cent
Sc per pound is made by the manufacturer :! PC
re tween lots of wool, according to the rate, If
Y may 50 speak, of the stapling One lot ,' o
re WOOL, upon staping, yields an unusual quon
I'd titv which runs into the higher numbers
d. the the staplcrs scale, and little or none in I'll
lowest number of the scale. In another lot ,
ps apparently equal value, this may. be exact ct;
ct reversed, and it would be appraised by tn
to same manufacturers at several cents less pc
IN pound than the former, although the gre'
~ bulk of both lots run through precisely th
v same intermediate numbers.