The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-27
WASHINGTON. PA.

The Wool Crop-Probabie Falling
oHfn Amount-GrOWers Disposed
10 Hold for Higher Prices.
Correspondence Of Pittsburgh Commercial
WASHINGTON, Pa, May 81, 1874.
Our state being entirely lacking In
reliable official agricultural statistics. /
am compelled to depend entirely upon
the estimates OF persons who are engsg-
ed in the business, for q forecast OF the
coming
WOOL CROP.
Our estimate of the probable weight
OF last years clip fell 100000 pounds
short of the real amount, which was
fully 100000 pounda, aid was sold
at an average price OF 453 csnts. The
lowest price paid for any ordinary
sized lot OF we'll conditioned wool in
the season OF 1873. was 40 cents, and
prices ranged steadily from that to so
cents; but during the last two months
of this year, as high as 65 cents has
been taken Tor choice lots Of light
sbrinkage wool, which would increase
the average price. The amount now in
hand is not equal to that held at the
same time in 1873, when almost hall Of
the clip of 1872 was yet uusold.
The prospects for this year are that
the product will fall considerably below
that OF last year, and there is strong
feeling manifested by the best growers
to hold OF for Eore remunerative
prices than were realized on the pro-
duct OF 1873. There were about five
hundred thousand sheep shorn in this
csunty last year, giving an average OF
about four ard one-halI pounds per
head. The grade OF wool in this
neighborhood, taken ss it is principally
from the old Saxon and Merino stock,
is about AZ follows: 0ne-half will run
from Xxx to Xxx, the balance \ to
common. The per centage OF AXA is
quite small. for the reason that enough
d ference is not made 10 favor OF the
better grades. This fact has induced a
numbe OF our most thrifty breeders to
cross The fine wool sheep with the
heavy Spanish blood, in order TO gain
weight OF fleece. There is certainly
room tor more distinction than is now
made between the fine light and we'll
conditioned wool and the heavy shrink
age grades which are poorly cleansed.
The largest clip OF Xxx grade in the
county was $500 pounds, the next
largest $500 pounds. Our hocks will
average about 200 sheep.
But few Cotswold or long wooded
sheep are raised in Washington county.
Our mutton sheep are from the origin
al stock, or fine wooded varieties fed
for that purpose. Four-yesr ODDS are
usually chosen for this purpose, and
weigh in market from so to ITO pounds.
An attempt was recently made to in
troduce the Canada combing and Cots
void for all purposes, but they soon
ceased 10 be iavorites with our farmers
and are about gone out OF the county.
They eat too much, cannot be kept in
large flocks, and are breacby. Their
only saving quality is comparative
freedom from loot rot. The Spanish
breed has been the most unfortunate
with rot, propagating the disease and
being much more difficult to cure than
others.
Bushes. generally has been only fair
this spring, the late season interfering
with almost every line Our town has
a subject of coDgratulatiou in the re
fitting and reopeniDg of the Valentine
House by new and energetic landlord.
We have long wanted tip-top hotel
AVID are now glad to say we have it.
ROVER.