Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-07-06
From the South Countryman. Wool Growing at the South.


 paper in disgust, when you observe the heading of this article, and say, '' Non sense, wool raising in a cotton country Is a humbug." We ask you to consider what we have to say on the subject. Not sen tence is written lightly or idly. Not an assertion is made which is incapable of proof. We are fully aware of the prejudi- ces the subject encounters He who has been sufficiently fortunate to overcome prejudice, knows the difficulty of the pro- cess, and is therefore presumed to make due allowance for those whom he thinks may not have been equally successful with himself. For many years we shared the opinion prevalent at the south in regard to wool raising. Time, observation, and eX perience have changed our views on this subject Our readers are asked to read the reasons, which have induced this change on our part. However strong the preju dice, they will at least yield the courtesy so natural to the southern gentleman.
 Last year while in conversation with prominent, and very sensible planter, of middle Georgia, an inquiry was made as to the size of our flock of sheep. The an swer was given, "about 100.' :" One hundred sheep" said our friend, " if 1 had that number on my plantation l should count myself broke"
 The strength of the prejudice against wool growing at the south, should not be a subject of wonder, when we reflect upon the manner in which it is usually conduct ed. Ordinarily the few sheep which the planter keeps, are a cause of more vexation to him than any other part of his planting | interest. His mutton is most frequently attained at the expense of his temper He does not keep enough sheep to warrant the employment -of shepard. But he does keep enough to be greatly annoyed when his neighbors' dogs kill them The wool, when he gets it, is small in quantity, and inferior in quality. From careless breed- ing, our common sheep are worthless am mals, feeble in constitution liable to dis ease, and before the winter is over, often shedding the scanty covering of wool which protects their bodies It is as difficult and expensive, to make them really fat, for mutton, as it Is to fatten range hog: and NICHC VI lO IiihC llOl U IL, CdullOI lildRlIb the quantity of corn that the latter, annu- ally, will dispose of, without material ad- dition to his weight Judge Buel, of New | ork, having occasion to mention the most miserable object within his knowledge, se- lected "a Georgia calf" A Georgia sheep would have been an example equally as striking.
 When we speak of wool growing at the south let it be understood that we have reference to good sheep and not to the worthless animals so common among us We speak of 1t as business capable of be. ing conducted on the largest scale and witl an amount of capital not now known II any of our largest agricultural operation: in either rice or cotton
 IL is supposed by some persons that woo growing Is necessarily a small business, be- cause 1t can be conducted on a small scaic proftably. The truth is, that the attention of our planters has been so long absorbed by cotton, rice or sugar, that they have ac qulred a sort of contempt for other agr cultural products. In fact the difference between farming and planting at the south has, at least, been supposed to indicate difference in social position. Nothing cal be more absurd Some time since. we han peneqot be q passenger with the Weaithies commoner in England, gentleman be longing to one of those old Norman fami lies, tracing their pedigree back to the tim of the conqueror, and steadily refusing title This gentleman had just returned from tn Ittlo ,,F t,,, h. l, l look after an estate which had suffered yer, heavily from the emancipation act, in fac had cut down his income, in that direction from 1000 to nothing. Of this loss h. spoke lightly, but with an anxiety, con cerning variation in the price of cheese his chief estates lying in the county c Chesire, and his principal income bein. derived from the sale of that article. Yet not " Belted Earl'' in England, woul esteem it the shade of a descent in ioinin, a social connection with this gentleman family. The truth is, there is great dea of folly at the south on this subject. an the sooner we get rid of 1t the better fo ourselves an! the country. Sheep raisin Is considered an unsuitable occupation fo a gentleman. We may imagine the eGea of this remark upon Spanish noble, who's pedigree runs back to the Moors, anl wh has been accustomed to think a Spanisl flidalgo, and Nigretti Merino. the tw noblest objects in nature.
 A considerable rice planter once sai to us in conversation upon this subject wool raising is a small business. Iwor IoO hands. What could do with then in sheep raiSing?" Our reply was. simply to turn his attention to Prince Esterhazy the richest man in Europe, and whose in come, which could buy out any cotton Q rice plantation in Georgia or Carolina. wa chiefly derived from wool It is of thi Prince, that the following anecdote is told An English nobleman was boasting of th size ot his flock of sheep. The Prince of fered to bet him, that he employed nor shepherds than the other owned sheep The wager was accepted, and the noblema lost
 The extent to which sheep raising is car ried on elsewhere, is but little understoo among us. The largest Aocks are kept i Spain. The hocks of the large proprietors consist of about 10000 sheep, each T each flock there is a directing manager. fit shepherds and fifty dogs A mesta is tn union of number of hocks, at the perio when the sheep are put in motion for change of pasture. The mesta is compos ed of about five millions of sheep. attende by between 40 and 50 thousand person and as many dogs. This force would wor a pretty large rice plantation There is n limit to the amount of capital which ma be invested in wool growing, or in the ex tent to which the business may be carried
 The most striking feature of English ae rlcuiture IS the number and quality of sheer 1.-The English farmer wishes to keep a many sheep as possible, because the sheer of all animals, is easiest to feed, derive the greatest benefit from the food 1t con suneS, gives the most active and rich ma nure to the land and is valuable for tw things, its meat and it's wool" Notwill standing the enormous value of land, Eng land has thirtyive millions of sheep o its surface. Georgia is larger than Eng land, and by the last census, there are undo 60O,0QO sheep in the State Notwithstand ing tine cheapness of pasturage in the Uni ted States, and it's cost in England, we i'm |