Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-05-30
WHOLE NO. 2591
From the Uinelnnan dazetlslI4
The Wool IPrOduetiOma and Wool
Growing Interests of Ohio.

Few people, even in Ohio, are fully ae-
quainted with the growth and magnitude
Of the wool interest in this State. We
shall, perhaps, do service, aot only to
those interested, but to the whole public
by brief sketch of the statistics and
production of this branch of agriculture.
Ohio is more completely than any other
State, except those Immediately west OF
US, an agricultural State. Its manufac-
turing and mining production is large,
and unquestionably viii grow rapidly IN
future, but heretofore agriculture has
been the primary interest. IF we were
TO compare the States by the production
of grain only-corn, wheat and oats1this
fact would be strikinglY apparent; but
when we consider that it is the first STATE
in the number of animals, this fact is yet
more striking7l The sheep Of Ohio are
not only the largestin number, but the
largest of any State. The wool product
of Ohio is worth twelve millions of dol
laars, and when we consider that It is an
unfailing crop, we see that it has advan-
tages over any other crop. Wool viii be
sheared from sheep whether there is.any
wheat crop or not. It is for this reason,
probably, that many of the Northeast
ern counties Of this State, where wheat
was formerly most productive, have, on
repeated failures of that product, gone
much more extensively into the growth
ofwool. Rolling land, where grass grows
readily, and the soil is not very rich, is
the best adapted to the culture of sheep.
Such Is the case with alarge partof Ohio,
Immediately above the alluYials on the
on the streams running into the Ohio
river that. IS, the middle and eastern
couuties. FIocks of Merinowere brought
to the neighborhood of Steubenville more
than half centuary ago, and stimulated
by the war with Great Britain, some
woolen factories were erected but an
consequences of the fall Of prices onlthe
return of peace, they did not suceeed.-
The Eastern Ststes--NeW England New
York and PennsylVania have sbeenathe
markets for 0hio#ool Two years since,
Philadelphia alone paid a. million and
half of dollars for Ohio wool. Underline
present tariff, the manufacture OF wool
ems has been sufficiently profitable to
keep MP a market for Ohio wool atmoder-
ate prices !; for kigh prices have never been
paid for our wool. Two years ago, with
large war demand for cloths, prices
seemed to be high; but it was when gold
was 100 per cent. premiums The real
price was not high, and is not now The
farmers have really gained 2 profit how
ever, in nsomething which merchants don't
understand as well as farmers They
have gained by improving their sheep
and getting an increased lCeigh Of Fesee:-
If farmers could add one pound to the
weight of each fleece, while the price re-
mained the same, it would be q, large
profit on their animals. The census ia
bles show that this had been moderately
done prior to 1866, but Wa undertake, to
say that the census statistics of 1870 will
show fourfold the increase of fleece, which
that of 1860 did. The following brief
table gives the averages Of the aggregate
feeces for sheep, and the increase from
| 1850 tn 1870. -r -. H.. E--.-