The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-12-07

The continued depression Of the wool
growing interest Of the country suggest
to the mind Of the farmer whose former
dependence OH the sales Of sheep and WOO
is stricken from him, grave thoughts OIL
the subject Of wool growing III the future
Many such, who have given the labor oi
years to the improvement of their fiocks
feel very reluctant to part with their
sheep. And yet as month after month
and year after year roll by, each bringing
further decline in prices and little
more stagnation and encouragement,
the conviction is forced home to the mos,
reluctant, that it is not a question that
admits of the qualification of the fancy or
affection for old favorites, but whether
in the future we must abandon our sheep
and look to other stock and crops for the
income of the farm.
So far us present income is concerned,
the farmer holds his sheep at loss. This
is so well known that there is no sale for
sheep, no one will buy them, and the far
mer who would now change his stock TO
something more remunerative must dis
pose of his flock at ruinous prices The
best focks of grade merinos will sell for
no more than they are worth to slaughter,
and be sold for no other purpose, and the
same is substantially true of thorough
bred sheep. The only place which bears
evidence Of vitality and activity in the
sheep business is at the "Pullery.' Ther'
wrinkles and folds and dewlaps, crimps
and gloss and pedigree and all the fine
"points," finish and style, sink into insig-
fcancc before the "sheep king" whose
practised eye measures only the capacity
for production of pulled wool and tallow
This condition of things is truly deplora
bic. The destruction of an agriculture
interest of such magnitude is a heavy
blow at the prosperity of the country
The whole community feel the loss. am
must help to bear the burden.
There is only one possible explanation
of this most unfortunate prostration o
this branch of industry 1t is the natur
al and invitable relapse from correspond
ing undue expansion. The business wa
overdonc. Too much money was mad
by wool growers and manufactures, an.
both must suffer for it. That it is no
the result of insufficient duties on wool j
evident from the fact that wool CROWN.
in South Americh and other foreign coun
tries which come in competition with u
is suffering as badly Ms here Sheep ar
being slaughtered by the million in Soutl
America because the wool will not pa,
for herding and shearing.
The production Of wool has been d
minished immensely in the last three year
As single instance only the State o
Ohio may he mentioned, where, accord
ing to our enterprising contemporary, th,
Ohio Farmer, there are no merino sheel
under four years old, because they hay,
not been raised Sheep raising is sub
stantially discontinued in America. Tn,
terrible slaughter of those in existenc,
still continues. This is true here in Yer
mont the home of the improved merino
This slaughter of sheep will proceed un
til the number is so reduced as to be in
sufficient to supply the demand for WOO
for the manufacture of WOODEN goods
The production of wool of the world viii
without doubt be soon reduced far beloy
what il was in 1860. In the mean tim,
many wooden mills will be converted II
other uses, and the machinery of other
will become worthless from inaction.
Then the business of growing and man
ufacturing wool will revive, receiving
, healthy impetus from the constant de-
mand for wooden goods with short suppl
of raw material, and then the farmer VIII
holds on to the best of his flock and con
tinuss their improvement, will be in eou