Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-02-12
POPULAR FALLACIEs CONCERNING
WOOL.

The report from the Department Of Agii-
culture for Dec. says: In commercial circles
at least, most erroneous views concerning the
quality, consumption, present supply, and the
influence Of existing impost laws upon pres
ent prices, appear to prevail few Of which
are noticed, viz:
l. That the quality of American ,olol has
deterioroted.--lt has been boldly asserted that
the dissemination Of American M9rnoes has
been injurious to the quality Of the wool.
The most judiciously bred and carefully
housed thorough -breds have. indeed, furn-
ished very oily unwashed aseces, unprofta-
Bile to manufactures on account Of the loss in
cleansing; but for one Of these there are
scores, if not hundreds of their progeny.
whose wool is vastly superior to that Of their
coarse-wooled ancestors, and Of tina, quality
most in demand at American factories. an
sweriug for all except the finest cloths, and
of sufficient length 10 become a substitute for
combing woods in delaines. This breed has
so far affected a vast improvement upon the
coarse mongrel sheep constituting the great
mass Of Aocks Of former days. II is not nee
essary to affirm this fact before intelligent
wool growers, bat millions Of American citi.
2ens may be misled by widely published
statements Of the inferior condition Of oui
wool clip, resulting from crosses Of American
Merinoes upon the sheep Of the west.
2. That domestic tgooi is inferior TO foreiqa
The very reverse Of this statement is true
In strength OF fibre and durability Of fabric
our homegrown wool is far superior to thai
which is imported. Every manufacturer who
he's tested the matter will corroborate the
statement. Writers in the foreign wool sell.
ing interest freely declare that a proportion
OF foreign wool is necessary for mixing with
the domestic, and that in its absence the
manufacturer Of The home fsecss must de-
cline. The statement is utterly erroneous
The only pTetext for il is in the adaptation O
machinery, in certain factories, to this mix.
ture. Every month is removing this meohan.
/ ical impediment TO the supremacy OF domcsti,
woods The progress of manufacturers, in
this respect has been wonderful q past wear
Cotswoid and Leicester combing woods are in
fact scarce, but the deficiency can be- easil,
supplied in few years, and the invention o.
our manufac lurers, impatient of delay, ha,
found an excellent substitute in tho long br,
Of Morino graz by the aid of changes In
the machinery by which iii wrought. Very
li;tle wool, except carpet grades, which art
admitted with less duty than the wool grow.
er pays as taxes, is now required by man
ubc'urers from foreign sources When the
bfoadcloJh manufacture shall be extended
here, finer Merino will be wanted, and can
be supplied without foreign sid
3. That ace need seVsaty millions of pound.
Of foreign Uooi to supplement the dom site sap
Py.--lhe Imports OF all WOODS, 10 four years
Of war, were bus sixty millions per ear,
with six millions Of shoddy-in all. more
precisely, 279, 1888, O49 pounds In 1860 the
imports were only half as much, and the home
product but sixty millions the actual man.
uiacture but eighty millions. II is folly now
to talk Of sixty or seventy millions deficiency,
when the trade is suffering from a surfeit Of
woods and woollens, Notwithstanding the de-
crease Of imports Of wool since the war. On
the other hand, there are persons who prefer
to believe that the domestic wool product is
in excess OF the demand, position equally
unfounded.