Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-10-18
Sound Advice.

In answer to the question, " Shall Mcrino
growers stick to their sheep, or exchange them
for or cross them with other breeds, or aban-
don sheep husbandry altogethc' ~ DR.. Ran
dali gives, in the Rural Men Yorker, the
following sensible reply
There is no doubt that the instcrests Of in.
diyiduals and the public require an extension
of mutton and long wool production and the
rapid extension which has taken place since
the enactment Of the tariff of 1867 has pro.
ceeded on the solid basis Of demand aud sup
ply. And there is a margin yet to be filled
in the supply. 1t does not yet meet the de-
mand. The tariff Of 1867 came to build up
the coarse wool and thereby the mutton in
terest it only came to save the fine wool in
terest from impending destruction. 1t found
the domestic supply of combing woods wholly
inadequate to meet the domestic demand
but handful, so to speak Of combng wool
sheep in the country.-apd no excess Of for
een competition to squeeze down prices On
the other hand, it found the country over.
stocked with woolens sufficient to keep down
prices for two or three years, the supply Of
fine woods of the quality chiefly consumed
exceeding the existing demand, and foreign
competition tiostered to enormous dimensions
by our war demand) so excessive that the
foreign grower shut out by our tariff, was
compelled to glut the markets Of Europe
with wool at prices unromuneratiye to him
self, but which enabled the European manu-.
iacturer to compete with the American man.
ufacturer to an extent which still injurious
ly affected the price Of our domestic fine
woods.
This state Of things was necessarily tran
sient one, if the wool and wooden tariff con-
tinued to stand-ior the foreign grower
would not and could not continue to produce
woods without profit. He kept up the strug.
gle, however, in the hope that our tariff
would, as usual, be soon repealed OF modi-
fed The skin wool evasion until twas
stopped, gave him strong CLEAN of hope
and prolonged the struggle. But the signs
now are that it is beginning to draw to a
close.
BY the above general and many minor in-
cdental causes, the mutual relations Of prices
between coarse and fine woods have been up
set Coarse woods have obtained an unprece-
dented ascendaney in prices. And the null
ttude, as usual, are ready to believe that
what has been sup" in the market for two or
three years will always be up-and what is
"down" will stay down Consequently there
is mania for English sheep, and the fancy
is widely entertained by that floating mass Of
specializing farmers who always chase the last
new thing and ride the last new hobby, that
the Merino is to be wholly superseded by the
mutton sheep in this country-that the form
er is "played out" What would be the val
ne of mutton in our markets if all the sheep
in our country were mutton Sheep What
would be the price Of combng woods, if our
whole product was combing wools2 The
last question becomes more significant when
we consider that the consumption of
combing wool reaches only about one-ffth the
consumption of clothing wool.
If the wool and wooden tariff stands, both
industries ,gill ultimately flourish, and they
will assimiate nearer together in profit as the
proportion of supply to the demand in each
assimilates. There is room for both. Essen
TALLY there is no competition between them.
Nay, we believe they aid each other.
We will now answer our first question /:
"Shall Merino growers stick to their Sheep"
We would not stick to them under circum-
stances clearly the most favorable to mutton
sheep, nor would We stick to mutton sheep
under circumstances clearly the most favora-
bic to Merino sheep. Under no conditions
would we sacrifice really choice sheep of either
breed. Especially would we not do it in the
case Of the Merino. Choice mutton sheep
can at any time be imported from England
The hardy, heavy-wooled American Merinc
which it has taken fifty years of careful
improvement to form and establish--which is
so peculiarly adapted to our climate and
wants, if allowed to become extinct, could
not be re-supplied from any other country
and its loss would be an irreparable one. II
wool continues to be adequately protected
the time is not distant when all our choice
Merino flock will be needed to breed rams fol
the great wool-growing hocks of the Wes
and South, and for innumerable smaller 1ocki
in all portions of our country.