Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-10-24
WOOIi sheepT Dogs!

Among the things most essential to nascent man.
uacures, is the article of wool. Without wool, the
making Of good winter clothing for our troops is a
myth. Without WOOL blankets exist only in name-
Without WOOL we make neither cassimeres nor kerseys,
nor hats, ror good hannes, for winter
Without sheep, We need hardly expect to raise wool,
AID acHh the number of dogs roaming around enjoying
the largest liberty, and indugng decided preference
for mutton of their killing, We must not look for
any marked development of the woo-growing business
since the sheep upon whose backs the wool is to grow
kept under by the constant depedatons of the dogs
Not many days since, we asked distinguished gentle
from the mountain district for information upon
this point-the raising Of sheep and the growing Of
wool The range know to be almost unlimited, the
pastures good the climate favorable the breed of sheep
fair. In answer, be admitted that all this was So He
said there were good many sheep, "a and upon the
whole said he, summing it up, may say that, taking
one year with another raise enough sheep to feed the
dogs"
Flocks do not increase. They not allowed to in
crease for the demand to feed the dogs, is about equal
to the supply, or possibly little in advance.
Now we like dog. Every body likes at least his
own dog. But the support Of the nnumerable yelpng
that act the State really heavy tax upon the
produce of Inc soil why the flea population sustained
upon their carcaseS must drink blood daily than
drove of could supply. There is certainly no
animal economy in that There surely be no plea
OF political economy that can either justify or excuse
the keeping of set of useless curs to the serious detr
ment Of the State and at the expense Of great and
important branch Of manufactures which is deprived oil
the material necessary to carry it on, simply because
every white family must have sundry mOngrels, and
cry negro twice as many as the whites. We might
soon have wool enough, if only nineteen dogs out Of
every twenty hanged and the remaining dog was
practised little in the art of swimming in deep water
with big stone tied to his neck.
The sheep walks of the southern mountain ranges,
taking hill and valley together, fully equal to those
OF Spain, both in regard to herbage and climate, and
would render the Conederacy perfectly Independent OF
the world at large, in gard her supply of WOOL if
only the sheep could be saved from the tender mercies
OF the dogs. Spain had some 100000 of sheep in
1890, whereas the whole United States had at that time
only 272l 3d. and taking into consideration the fact
OF the superior breed of the Spanish Sheep evident
that their clip of fine Merino WOOL lar exceeded in
quantity the coarser article shorn from the rather
larger number OF inferior American Sheep North Car
DINA and Virginia had 19O5253 sheep, and made
1881 SOB pounds of wool during the year ending June
L, 1850, being about two pounds per sheep.
Since that time the number has probably retro
graded rather than advanced and the product in wool
has kept stationary. Even before this war commenced
our few wooden factories put to their trumps
keep up stock OF wool fit for really good fabrics.
dOgbedeVlled race OF muttons-their eeces torn and
ragged-unmproved in breed, since no body cares for
investing much money getting together fine stock for
his neighbours dogs to eat, will hardly produce very
hne wool under any circumstances and under present
circumstances neither increase fast enough nor fur
nsh wool enough to meet the demand for any kind OF
fabrics
Is there no remedy for this sort of tbing2 Cannot
the Legislature do something? Will not the people
themselves take it up and it at once throughout
the length and breadth of the State East and West
North and South? 1t is matter of the gravest i'm
Portance 1t is serious NATTER and no mere affection
for dogs or dOggery ought now to be allowed to inter
teFe with matter that so deeply involves the success Of
our whole movement, az does the wool crop