Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-01-22

WOOL. GROWING IN NORTH CAROLINA, OR
SHEEP AGAINST DOGS.

SHEEP AGAINST DOGS.
If the question we're asked how we shall first and
most severely feel the pressure Of this war, almost
every one would answer, in the want Of clothing,
particularly of wooden fabrics" We are able TO
supply ourselves abundantly with provisions, all
the necessaries of life at least but to the matter
of clothing, We have already nearly exhausted our
stores, and although we may be able to supply our
soldiers tolerably this winter by the help of the
large stock of ready made goods which We had on
hand, how shall We do next fall?
And the difficulty lies not much in the want of
machinery to manufacture wooden, of the raw
material The hand, looms which clothed our fathers
can be again called into requision to any needed ex
tent But how are we TO get the wool? 1t is said
there is wool in Texas But what even two
millions of pounds supposing the Texas crop to
reach that figure towards supplying the deficiency
of the whole Copfedcracy, of which no other State
makes one-thiId of what it consumes? Then the
question arises, since we have nearly year to 90
upon cannot this state of things be met and provid
ed for by the calm foresig hit and enterprise of
people? Is there NO means of supplying this great
want? Can produce wool in sufficient quantity
and in time? Why have We not done hereto
fore? The answer ought to make any North Caro-
linian blush. And yet there not two intelligent
farmers in the State that would give different an
swers to the question. Ask the next ten intelligent
farmers you meet in any neighborhood in the State
why they do not raise sheep and nine of them will
answer something like this: WE'LL ! did have about
ahundred head two or three years ago. but the dogs
broke in on them one night and left me about
dozen, and so gave it up. But why did You not
have the dogs killed and try again? Yes that is
easy enough to say but it is another thing to do it.
/ did attempt it, but nearly every dog in the
neghborhood was concerned, my own among the
rest (they congregate and make frolic of it,
you know | had all mine killed. bu. as to
the others, one of my neighbors killed one or
two, and another insisted that his dogs never
chased sheep, although they had been seen in
the fact and third promised to have his killed if
he could be convinced that they were guilty; but
that the last of it and to end Of the chap
ter. Almost every farmer has tried it, and all have
failed. This sort of conversation have heard over
and again, in all parts of the State east west
and middle. Dogs, then, is it? Nothing but dogs.
For the glory and profits of dog farming, we have
given up the whole matter of sheep-husbandry, and
have been content that Others and those foreigners
and enemies, should reap all the advantages of one
Of the most profitable and now indispensable branch
es of agriculture and one, too, for which our coun-
try has peculiar aptitudes and facilities. And, in
doing this let's see what we have done. Ours is
sometimes called the age of statistics. And it is
eminently practical and factual age. And surely
nothing can teach like column of figures Let us
then appeal to the Census tables Take first for
eAaInPe, tle ease vi sIhSle CUuuLy, MecklenDurg.
We have not the tables for 1860, and only know
the general result that the population of the State
is little 100000. Calculating for this num-
Der from the tables for 1850 we find the number of
families in this county to be about 1000 Allowing
three dogs to family as a fair average, we have
6,00o dogs Any farmer will tell you that the food
which dog consumes will keep hog in more than
an average condition, and will make at least 200
lbs. of pork. This gives 100000 pounds, or at
present prices 1920 900 annual loss to the country
But further, any farmer will tell US that but for
dogs, the number of sheep would be increased ten
fold, and that sheep husbandry would be large
part of our regular agricultural system The pres.
ent number of sheep in Mecklenburg county, calcu-
lated above from the tables for 1850 is something
less than 10000. Setting it down at that, the
above statement shows that it would be and ought
to be 100000 At the moderate estimate of SO
so cents per head, this would give an addition
to the wealth of the county Of $25O,000. And if
we add to the annual income the value of the wool
and the yield OF mutton would be at least 500, 0OO
we shall have 300 900 pounds, worth now $225, Ooo
making annual gain of 1925, 900, and adding for
the pork as above 1890 900, we get total of S445.
600, an annual result equal to the whole present
value of all live stock in the county. And let it