New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-03

tie ULlted States at just o5je:ts OF National so.c!
tude. Though preeminsntly an Agricultural peo-
pie, We DO not AID probably never did grow tue
Vol with which we are clothed. Tho1ga pro-
ducers Of Meat in exce1s Of our Own consumption,
We are not adequately supplied with Mutton which
is among tie best Of meats. Our farmers live main
ly or PORK, which is TIE ero,sest, least c.esnly,
least healthy Of Insats, and which must mainly be
cured 81 d preserved by sailing, whereas Mutton Is
usualy cheaper, more p.lstable, less conducive 10
di1eese, ard may be had fresh tbroseh two.thirds
Of the year. Sheep tusbsndIy, but for the raw
sges of v,graut dogs, that ought to be very dsa''
might be proftaby prosecuted in nearly every S:a'e
Of ihe Uiior. The slopes Of the Aeghanies, and Of
oyeIy other mountain chain from Maine to Alabama,
may be prcftably devoted to this pursuit when uc-
fit for any other. Pennsylvania alore, especially
rear her northern boundary has millions OF acres
vet wild and unproductive which might profit.
ably he devoted to the production Of choice Nut
ton fer the New.YoIk and Phi'adelphia mar
bets. yugris hss Of least an equal area of
lard admirably adapted to Sheep husSandry,
and to lone other Texas has already sOme Urge
focks, which are rspidly increasing; aud in due
time tie whole region stretching several hundreds
Of miles eastward from the Rocky Mountains
through New Mexico, Western Kansas and Ne
braska, from lat. 40 down to the line of Texas
and still lower, viii be found admirably suited to
Sheep. growing. This is pursuit requiring rather
skill and watchiulness tial the seyerest toll which
yields quick aid generous return', and which does
not exhaust but tends to improve the soil. The
relative cteapness with which Wool may be trans
ported the ease and safety with which 1t may be
kspt on bend are great recommendations OF
One Thousand bushels Of Indian Corn grown IN
Iowa ard clipped Eastward for market, at leMt
ak hundred viii have been consumed in ffeights
ard charges BY the time tie grain reaches this City,
and another hundred by the time the remainder is
lad down in English Manchester or Birmingham,
leayirg but three hundred to be returned to Iowa
in Wares or Fabrics; while One Thousand pounds
of Wool may be transported from Iowa to the Brit
ish manufacturing Districts for twentieth part of
it's value. In other words: Western farmer WHO
grows Gram for market must sell il for less than
half IFS average price throughout the civilized
world; whereas, if Re grows Wool, he can be sure
Of ca.h market at his own door only five to ten
Ier cent lower than its price in the very highest
markets. And, should the price be low one ye,r
ard tie producer deste 10 hold over, Wool may be
securely stored for less than one per cent per an
Lum Of IFS value, and will lose nothing by keeping;
whereas grain is not only more bulky and more sx-
posed to depreciation from vernin, but deteriorates
in quality simply from being kepton hand. As our
settlements shall extend further ard further West
ward, therefore, away from the seaboard and from
cheap transportation, the inducements to Sheep
husbandry must be constantly increasing.
But how is this branch Of industry to be affect
cd by foreign competition We know that Sheep
in millions roam over the vas. p0mpaS or praries
Of South America, especially on the banks of Ls
Plats and its sfluents, uever fed and receiving
little care and that their wool, mainly coarse and
poor in quality, is cold at prices with which no
American woOl-grower will think Of competing.
Something Like this occurs in northwestern Africa,
though in mora limited and less favorable region,
while Australia presents al immense area well
adapted to Sheep growing and requiring little or no
PREPARATION Of Winter fodder. Doubtless, the eI-
portatien Of Wool from Australia las been ch scked
ard limited BY the opening Of the gold mines 10 that
young empire; but to fancy tina. the discovery of
god in email district Of that continent to break
up or ares! Wool growing there, 10 like suppo,ns
that the discovery Of gold in California or New
Caltdoria must stop Cotton growing on the Alabama
and Lower Mississippi. Very possibly, the influx of
population into Australia caused by the gold dis
coveries will increase her ultimate production Of
Wool.
Seventeen moLths ago, Congress enacted that al
" col costrg lees than twenty cents per pound, i'm
rortsd after the lst Of July lSJ', should be admit
ted free of duty, while Wool costing more than that
price ,bould Isy duty of "A per cent. (AH Wool
imported had, for tie eleven years preceding, been
,uhirc. TO duty Of 80 per cent The effect q
this reduction on TIE prices, consequently on the
troductien cf American Wool, was s subject of
inst National coIcern. Would the importation Of
Wool he largely increased BY tbs change Would
the yrioe corsequtnily fall Would our Wool
e,owsr, hence be obliged % slaughter or ms.erialy
reduce TIER hocks These questions We're for
month, sharply and earnestly debated. We be
Eeye large msjo;:ty Of cur Wool growers appre-
berd,d clut Of imported Wool, a conaequen. fall
in The piice Of toms grown Wool, and resultug
rros,rater Z of Sheep husbandry, in consequence Of
ib;s chspge. AID We are assured that .hs number
Of Sheen in tte country ha actually been redu,ed
within the last year.
We did not. =. !. vel Known, share in the sp.
preher.icr. ot the Wool growers for these reasons
lin br;ef): |. The free admission of Wool sue
ceuiyely INTO England Germany AID France, had
no. reduced but rather Increased the price Of home
crown Wool; .. we believed tia. the paralysis or
r.....s.;on nf the Kno'sn Manufacture IVES The