Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-09-11
gntland U Rra11.
THURSDAY SEPTE NBER IL, 1862.
WOOL GROWERS CONVENTION.

The Convention Of Wool Growers, called
by vote of the Directors of the State Agri-
cultural Society, was held in Mechanics
" Hall on the Fair Grounds Tuesday, at .
o'clock in the afternoon, the President of the
N Socirty in the chair, Though not largely
h attended, the meeting proved to be both in
teresting and profitable, so much so that it
was unanimously resolved to make the Cou-
yention permanent and one of the leading
features of our annual Fairs in future.
An able and highly instructive address was
delivered by Hon, Daniel Needham of Hart
ford. which was listened to throughout with
marked attention.
At It's conclusion. it wa voted that Mr..
Needham be requested to furnish copy OF
the address for publication IN pamphlet form,
and that five hundred copies thereof be prin-
ted which number was afterwards raised by
vote Of the Convention TO one thousand As
the address will soon be published for gener
a al circulation, we omit the abstract which
We have prepared, and shall hereafter have
occasion to furnish to our readers, at least
some valuable extracts itherefrom-
After the address various subjects connec-
ted with the raising of wool were discussed
by the Convention. among them the follow
Il ing;
/. The best method of preparing wool for
market
2. Whether mutton sheep can be profit
ably raised in Vermont
8 Improvement C,fstock, with reference
n to producing the largest amount OF wool at
n the least cost.
Hon. John Robinson of the New York
Y Tribune, being present was called up, and
made some very valuable remarks. de
said it has ccme to be an important question
whether the wool grower can afford to wash
bis sheen. He advised that the experiment be
tried fry wool we'll washed one year, and u"
washed the next, and see which is the cheap
est, IF manufacturers @ia buy dirty WOOL
and pay the same that theydo for clean WOO,
be could see neither utility nor economy
in washing. He remarked ia ii is now we'll
known that arts of the manufacturer are
such, that by the aid of chemistry, he can
clean wool much cheaper than the farmer can
do it. Even if washed by the farmer it must
be cleaned after it comes to the bands OF the
manufacturer, by process nearly II not
quite as expensive, as if it were unwashed.
He hoped this subject would receive the at
n tenton OF the wool growers of Vermont.
Mr.. Robinson observed that the meat ol
II sheep is an important matter to consiuer
ALI the sheep in Vermont are 7nlv sufficient
Il to supply the New York Market two years
Il New York consumes the carcases OF one hal
4 million of sheep In a single year. lie dc
not know whether the farmers of Vernon
could afford to raise the large, coarse wooiec
sheep, such as the outhdowns, which make
the best mutton. In England they just
yalue the Southdowns more highly than WI
do in this country, and their meat is general
ly worth at least two cents per pouhd mor'
than that of any other breeds in Enghs
markets. This is getting to be SO In Ne'
York. y Southdown lambs in the New for
being slOO per hundred more than lambs
any other kinds. In Pennsylvania wher
sheep are raised with profit, they will net tn
farmer $500 per head annually. Vernon
may be too far away from market to max
the raising of such sheep equally profitable
but still he thought it would pay. and that
oood margin of profit would be realized.
conclusion be said that wool growing must I
leading interest of the country tor years
come. Owing to the scarcity of cotton
must be mainly clothed in wool. An extr
ordinary demand for it is created by tt
war. Our soldiers clothing and even be'
ding is exclusively of wool, and owing to II
casualties OF the service, ana the wear ai
tear to which the clothing of soldiers is su
jected it requires to be frequently reple'
ished. The present enormous prices Of VIC
must increase rather than diminish.
thought that ordinary wool will sell anoth
year for IS cents per pound. The ordlna
pulled wool is now worth so cents. Lam
pelts, yielding two pounds or less of wo
readily bring SLIPS, and the pelts are I
worth ten cents alter the wool is taken OF
In reply to question put by Judge c
burn of Springfield, he said that the Sou
down sheep would not do so well, nor cs
they be kept SO pro6tably in very lal
cocks. He had usually kept them in Ao'
d leo, and put these into two in the win,
IL