Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-04-05
farmers department.
From the Wool Grover.
THE FUTURE FOR WOOL GROW
ERs.

doubt as 70 their future course. WOOL Is COM
paratively low, all kinds Of grain are high. So
also with animal food-beef, pork, and mutton
never commanded such high prices, and both
butter and cheese have paid the dairy farmer
better than ever before. We propose to eonsld'
sr the question yhsther. with all these facts be-
fore him, the farmer can do better than 10 con-
tinue to grow wool, or raIss sheepto aSgreat
an eztent as his circumstances will premit.
And il the FIRST place let Us see whether
grain glOwing is likely to prove as profitable
for any length Of time, as it now IS.
While wheat brings such prices as it has for
the last two years. farmers will SOW though the
mdge does destroy more or less Of the crop,for
the high price warrants the risk. A partial
failure, even, will yield sprO6t 1t is hardly
possible however that wheat will command
such prices for any length Of time. Yet it
equally certain that it will bring higher prices
upon the average for the next ten years, than
for ;hs last ten. A permanent rise in the price
Of wheat must follow the great increase of
gold. and is one Of the results of the California
acquisition. The increase Of gold will enhance
all kinds of agricultural products which 60 to
the support Of human life.
If society be divided into producers and non.
producers, including in the former only those
who till the soil, it will be surprising to see
how rapidly the non producing are gaining in
population upon the farmer. And herein is one
solution Of the distress that has everywhere
prevailed in cities and villages. and which must
continue until the balance is restored to its
proper level by the surplus power becoming
productive.
1t may be safely asserted Of the whole coun-
try, that productive labor has out run capital,
that is agriculture sells more than is buys, and
the difference is finding its way to the pockets
Of the farmers, and does not flow back rapidly
to the mechanic or manufacturer. The coun-
try is growing rich, but nOtsO the cities.
High prices, then, for grain, must prevail
until the surplus labor oil the country has gone
TO raising grain, and thus by a tuIl supply the
market is lowered. result that will take
place, but rather slowly. The high price or
gram will also secure good price for meats,
and will make the raising and feeding of cat
tie, hogs and sheep, both safe and prohtable.-
In dairy products there cannot well be any
falling Oft in price, from the fact that The see
ton OF our country best suited to that business
is comparatively small, so that while the popu
lation rapidly increases, the means Of supply
are not increasing in the same proportiOn.-
The consumption OF milk by the cities and vii
lagss. forms no uncomfortable Item in the Oon'
sumption Of dairy products, All kinds OF
farming will pay well, Ii devoted TO the pro-
ductIon oil human lood.
but wool will not command as high price.
comparatively, as other products. Still 1t will
be profitable, TO keep sheep; as profitable as
any other stock. 1t is hardly possible that
good MernO woolln good condition should
range below an average Oh 35 cents per pound,
We think Tor years 1t will go higher. But Ia
king IL AZ that price, and the average product
al 4 lbs. per had, II gives ior The use Ot the
sheep VI 40, TO say nothing OF the lambs. Me-
rlno lambs In good condluOn, at slx months
old, Will sell readily TO the butcher at from $l,-
90 10 1916, say The average ls $3.50. Al
this price lew farmers now are In the habit oil
saving their males, except some Lna1 are very
choice, and many oil Tue beet breeders will not
do that, unless they can command good
price for them tor stock. The results, that
very few males are Or should be wlntered.--
Thus The increase IN flock is nearly eQaul to
the number wlnLered. Making all reasonable
allowances for casualties and The farmer gets
annually 1915 per head from his sheep.
While, therefore, wool Is not, aud probably
will not be lower than IL has averaged tor The
last ten years, sheep nave more than doubled
in value Of carcass, by reason OF the great de-
mand for food, mutton being the cheapest, Ms
il il the most healthiul OF all meats, is coming
more and more into use, and the demand tor II
is increasing al a rapid rate. II will be found
by the farmers who continue in the business TO
be, as it always has been Tor the capital invest
I'd, by far the most profitable OF any branch
that be carries on. And, over large portion
of the Union, more money can be made from
the acre by growing mutton for the market
than beef. We think it will not be many
years before the raising Of sheep, will be large.
" on the increase. Up to this time wool has
been more an object than the carcass. From
this time forward the carcass will be more Of
an object than the wool,
The future, therefore. has nothing in it that
need be at all gloomy to the wool growers, and
We hope the many good HOcks which now ex'
ist in the country, viii not De sacrificed by the
seeming low price Of wool. Good sheep will
pay the farmer who takes good care OF them,
lad if be does not, poor ones are too good
for him.-P.
-O-
H =. i