Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-01-05
Wool Growing at the south

We republish to day an article from the pen of
Mark R. COckrill, ESQ.,, upon the subject of wOoI>
growing at the South, which originally appeared in
the Banner of this city some five years ago. Mr..
Cockrin has clearly demonstrated that the finest of
wool can be grown in the low ATTITUDES of the South
The wool with which he took the premium at the
Worlds Fair in London in 1851, was raised in Ten
nesses, but he has grown fine article of wool
farther South, his plantation in Mississippi thus
establishing beyond doubt that wool can be grown
wherever cotton can.
The success of Mr.. Cockrilrs experiment has
awakened an interest in the subject, and large
number at the South have practically tested the matt
ter and found il to work well. We notice the Gall
weston CTexas Selos is publishing a series of ar
ticles Sheep Raising in Texas" from the
pen of the Hon Henry s. Rande, the biographer
of jefferson, who shows very couclusively the adap>
tatiOn of Texas for the rearing of sheep for the
fleece. If the increased attention which this i'm
portant branch of business has received in Texas
and other Southern States during the past year
augurs anything for the future, says the New York
Journal Of Commerce it s safe to predict that at
distant day wool growing will rival the cotton inter-
est in those States where cotton is now the chief
staple Until very recently, sheep have been reared
at the South Gully for their fesh-the fleece not en-
tering into the calculation of their value. Even in
New Mexico the most extensive safeguarding
country on This continent the wool is held in little
estimation, the sheep are never sheared, and
what little wool is obtained from them, is gathered
from the bushes through which the vast herds are
driven In the first case, the stock-raisers of the
South could find no market for their wool in the
second, the New Mexicans ignorant of its walls
ne, though times disposing of considerable guam
titles to itinerant merchants for tri1ing sums The
Kansas City Journal furnishes the following inter-
estng information relative to sheep culture in New
Mexico.
1.-The sheep having been herded during the winter
among the valleys of the mountains are early in the
spriug driven in by the shepherds to the hacjendss
of their pFoprietors, which, for the most part are
in the immediate valley of the Rio Grsnde del Nore
While the sheep are grazing in the mountsins, and
while being driven TO and from their winter Quar>
ters they lose quite large portion of their fleece
among the bushes and prIckly shrubs of the coun-
try In driving large flock through some patches
of horns, it is not uncommon for the sheep to lose
from one to two thousand pounds of their wool
This is left hanging to the bushes and is gathered
up by the Poems, properly sacked, taken TO the
chants or freighters engaged in the commerce be-
tween New Mexico and this CT y, sold for lrifiug
sum- flor the ignorant and lazy natives or 'greas-
ers' have no idea Of the value of the wool and by
these traders is forwarded to Kansas City. Last
summer trains arrived here bringing as many SIS
ninety thousand pounds of this WOOL gathered in
this manner. SheAring sheep is never done, though
some of the more scientific and industrious Of the
Poems will take off fleece vi h common butcher
kuife-rather tedious and savage operation.
Though large shipments of Mexican wool are
annually made TO his city, none has yet been re-
eeiyed coming from the hands of the shearer-it
has all been gathered from the bushes.
cat this season of the year the sheep will yield
a fleece on an average of about two pounds perhaps
mOre-all of which, by proper management, can
be obtained from the proprietors at more nominal
sunni some instances for nothing, as the sheep
are known to thrive much better after being 1eeced,
which is all that their owners care about-8s they
raise them for their carcass and the better and fat
ter the mutton the better satisfied their owners
for I'll s is a meat they are extremely fond Of
"Indeed we may state that the writer has himself
been told by proprietors Of large hocks. that he
would be welcome to the wool Tor the sbeariOg, as
neither himself or any OF his men made use Of the
wool or pelis except for making saddle BLANKETS for
pack mules"
As intimated above, lucrative field for speculG-
ton is here offered to any inclined to risk the ven
lure even with so distant market ss Kansas City,
the chief expense being the cost of trsnsporta
ion.
But we are told by the New Orleans PieOyUas, that
favorable market for wool now exists in that city
The amount received is by no means equal to the |