Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-06-23
RIne WooIed aheen.
LETTER PROM OHIO COUNTY. '

LETTER EtOA OHIO VA.
Editor Country Gentleman Enclosed you
will find some samples of my fine WOOL such as
is required to make the finest kind of broad cloth
or casSimeres, or in fact any kihd Of fine cloth.
Had the fine wool manufacturers for the last
thirty years exercised anything like sound
judgment in the purchase of their wool, there
would have been at this time an ample amount Of
fine wool for all purposes, which of course
would have superseded the necessity of having
that class OF wool imported free Of duty, as was
desired by many. Quite the largest portion of
the wool has been purchased of the farmers
either by spectators or agents, who in but few
cases were competent Judges of wool. In most
instances the commission for purchasing would
not vary far from one cent psr pound, aud that
was the all important consideration with them
As general rule, the commission wool buyers
would pay from two to five cents as much for
wool Of second and third rate, as they would
for first class. The presumption is that they
did not pay too much for the second and
third rate; it would then follow, of course,
that there was valuable speculation in
the finer kinds So far as my expert.
ence goes, l can with safety say that .
flock of Saxony sheep will not yield, of well
washed wool, more than two pounds and half
per head whereas the Vermont Spanish sheep
will yield from three and half to five pounds
per head. Those engaged in fine wool business,
seeing that the heavy Spanish fieeceS would sell
within few cents per pound as much as the
finest SaXOnY wool, have procured bucks OF the
heavy feecd kind and crossed them on the Sax
ony stock. | don't wish to be understood as
saying that all engaged in the fine wool bust
ness have done so, but sufficient number have
so reduce the amount Of fine wool to large ex-
tent This course of deterioration has been
going on for n long time, and unless arrested by
a change of policy in tho manufacturers, it will
drive all, or about oil, the fine SaxonY wool out
of the country. With those who understand
managing Hocks, there is no difficulty in raising
fine Saxony sheep. commenced the sheep
business in 1918; my first purchases were of the
Spanish Merino kind, but living not far from
Steubenville, Ohio, where Messrs Wells 4 Dick.
enson had large factory, and they making q
favorable discrimination in favor Of finer kinds
of Saxony wool, was induced to change my
flock from Spanish to Saxony; hence have had
ample experience in both kinds Of sheep, and
would say there is less trouble in managing the
Spanish sheep than the Saxony.
| The difference is most manifest in lambs
when young, they having less wool on them
than the Spanish kinds, hence more care is re-
uuired to shield them from cold and wet wealth
er. am decidedly of the opinion that Vermont
Spanish wool, when washed in running water
shorn, will waste in securing for the carding
machine, fifteen per cent. more than SaXony
wool when treated in like manner. Taking into
consideration the extra trouble in raising the
| finest kind of sheep and the limited amount OF
wool they bear, it is but reasonable that the
manufacturers should pay price corresponding
with the difficulty Of raising that kind of WOOL
ONO Co., VA. NATHL. P. ATKINSON.