The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-11-18
The sheep QsestlOn..

Itseems tha., in the West at least, farm
ers are rushing out of wool raising with
about as much heedlessness and judgement
a. they rushed into it. We give the follow
ing to show our readers the panic that RACES
in some quarters. A correspondent of the
New York ECoNoNsT, writes to that paper
as follows, under date of Bucyrus, Craw-
ford county, Ohio, Nov, 9:
"An the wool in this part of the State is
/ sold. In fact think the whole West is
about cleared out Far and near the grow
ers are selling the poorest sheep from 80 to
80 cents head to slaughter, and to be fed
to hogs. 81 will buy the choice of fiocks;
| 81 will buy the Vermont $500 bucks, good
bye to Vermont. l am Of the honest opin
| ion that one-third of the sheep if not one
half, will be out of the country before an
/ other clip. We haYe had two summers OF
drouth, and it has caused sheep to run de Tn
in condition, and, with 40 cents for wool, a.
turns out poor trade. The growers are
all discouraged. The East will have more
pulled woods this winter than ever before.
A good time to buy pelts. never expect
| TO see the wool interest in this country so
large as il has been.
L. CONVERSE.
5. Howard, ESv., Lansing, Michigan,
writes TO the COUNTRY GRNTLEMEN, that dur
ing recent trip in Hillsdale county he
found the disposition prevailing extensively
TO sell Oft sheep at any sacrifice, with the
view of getting cows and establishing cheese
factories; that some who have bought so
called "Paulers" and ''Infantados'' within
few years at high prices, are now selling
them at dollar or two per head; that .
flock of fifty sheep lately changed hands at
COL cRnfe that q, io
shortly to be commenced at Reading on q
large scale, for the sake of the pelts and tai
low. The depression in the price of Merino
wool reached its lowest point some time
since, and the article has lately been gradu-
ally advancing. There is no prospect of its
being lower. but on the contrary there are
indications that the clip of the coming sea-
son win be in demand at fair prices.
The Ono FARNER, of last week, gives
the following account of the slaughter of
sheep:
The sheep tlocks of Ohio are being slaugh-
tered at a terrible rate. From all quarters
We have the same reports, the farmers are
discouraged and disgusted with the sheep
business, and are determined to get out of il
in the same way, that the warrior in old
times united a hard knot-by cutting their
way out, in cutting the throats of sheep
ms Is very direct and sure way OF sett-
ling the business, in q way that it will stay
settled, until the tide shall set in the other
direction, when they will rally back into
wool growing as reckless as they now rush
out of it, by cutting the throats of their
COWS, hogs, or whatever else shall stand in
the way of their next change.
We have the names of four men, in three
townships of the county of Lorain, who
are slaughtering fifteen thousand sheep at
this time. The sheep are bought up in
whole hOcks-good, bad, and Indifferent
at an average price of about sixty-five cents
per head. Among these are fat wethers
and good breeding stock of fair grade Me
rinos. In consequence of the early and
abundant growth of fall feed since the rains
of August, sheep are in good condition, and
they are put into the cauldrons all together,
reserving only the hams of the best condi-
toned sheep, to be cured and sold for meat
The principal object is the pelts, which
alone pay fair profit on the whole purchase
leaving whatever is made from hams and
tallow as a surplus profit.
We learn from our Western exchanges,
that the slaughter is being carried on in that
direction much after the same fashion as in
Ohio
All we have TO say in the matter is, if
farmer has flock of good sheep which he
has carried over until this time, and now
thinks of throwing them away after this
manner-DON'L YOU DO IT,