Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-03-05
WOOL GROWING AGAIN.


No one who has ever studied the facts
can entertain doubt, as to the profit of
wool growing in Tennessee, and especially
in East Tennessee. We have called at
tention to this matter before, but the more
we think upon it the more Thoroughly are
we convinced that few thousand dollars
so invested would yield grand profit to
the investor.
Among the many reasons why East
Tennessee should engage in wool growing
we may mention the fact that we have
large area of mountain land that is not
so available for anything else as raising
sheep. Such lands are held at a low price,
and with care large flock of sheep may
be reared in a few years with comparative
~ but little cost. Our mild climate makes
this much easier than in a more rigorous
climate, Sheep may be wintered here at
far less cost than in the States north of us.
All things considered, the outlay for rails
ing sheep must necessarily be much
smaller here than in many of the older
States, where the bulk of the wool in the
United States is now produced. These
are statements which no one will attempt
to deny. Then if our lands are cheap and
we'll adapted to raising sheep, and if the
mildness OF the climate makes it easier to
care for them, and if the amount of
capital necessary to be invested may
be smaller and the profit greater, what
argument can be used against
the theories we have advanced? There can
be none. The only question to be cosider-
ed is the market for wool, mutton, sheep
skins &c. Is the market steady and re-
munerative? We have before US the pri-
ces current OF wool in New 1orl; on the
10th of January. We find Tennessee wool
quoted at Gao 6S cents per pound for No. l,
and $50 20 cents for No. ., while combing
unwashed, commanded 500 50 cents. The
wholesale price here now for washed is so
e. IS cents. It will pay to produce wool at
these prices, besides by little attention to
our tlocks the quality of. the wool could be
much improved and would command
higher prices. But are the prices likely to
continue? We think 50, for some time to
come at least. In 1870, our wooden manu-
factories used 2l9,97O,1 74 pounds OF wool,
of which 1851, 105 pounds was brought
from foreign countries. For several years
there has been a steady increase in the
amount of wool imported. Last year there
was received ut New York, Boston, phila-
delphia and Baltimore, IS, 3O6,5Sl pounds
of foreign wool. While the demand is that
much greater than the supply, and the
tendency is to increase rather than de-
crease, what prospect is there for any ser-
Gus reduction in the price? We have a
population of nearly forty millions who
have to be supplied with carpets, flannels,
linseys, satinets, cassimers, shawls, blan-
kets, etc, etc, etc, creating demand that
scarcely knows limit There need be no
fc.rs on the score of a constant and remu-
lucrative market It will be had without
a doubt.
We have not taken into consideration
in this article the constant demand for
mutton, or the growing Importance of the
mar let for sheep skins. Take these into
the account. Put The whole together, and
we are forced to the conclusion stated at
the outset, that no one who has given the
subject any attention can fail to see in wool
growing in East Tennessee money max
ing operation-a splendid investment.
Who will be the first to try it and grow
rich: