The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-06-09


ing its legitimate place by the side of wheat,
corn, pork, beef and what the farmer calls
business, takes rank with the production of
eggs and chickens, sort OF resource of pin
money for the women. The farmer keeps a
few turkeys, ducks. chickens and sheep, and
hardly counts on any or all of them as a
source of profit. Now the sheep have just
been sheared, and every day one OF the
familiar sights is the farm wagon, with
the family, or a portion of it, on the seats,
while looming up behind is bundle of wool
tied up loosely in blanket. The
team brings up at one of the
factories or purchasing stores, the
wool is taken inside, dumped on the
floor in heap, and sold for what it will
bring. just now very fair price. But the
condition OF the wool is deserving a passing
word, and moro than passing thought, by
those who raise and sell it. Not fleece is
rolled up and tied, nor kept distinct from
its fellows. That the wool is unwashed need
not be mentioned, tor when an attempt is
made at washing, the result is to make the
wool less merchantable than if it were left
untouched. Under this system the
advantage of the better quality is lost TO the
producer, because 1t is sold promiscuously
with the bad quality. The buyer or the
manufacturer into whose hands the medley
mass finds its way at last, sorts it over skill
fully and makes his profits by turning the
best qualities to advantage. 1t is true the
farmer may have not moro than one or two
dozen tieeces of wool to sell, it is not much,
his wife takes the money to buy new dress
or bolt OF muslin, and he don't care to take
the trouble of putting up his wool in good
order. The aggregate loss, however, to the
producing class is very heavy. BY the
census OF 1870 the wool product of the
state is laid down at 5029. OBS pounds, and
owing to the driblets in which
it is sold the above figure is no doubt
million pounds below the truth so that the
product must be worth more than million
and half of dollars. 1t would not be ex-
travagant to suppose that by carelessness of
handling and marketing, the producers
this year will lose half a million of dollars
which might be saved without much trouble
The point of difficulty is that the general
condition of western wool keeps the stand
ard price down to the low average grade. 1t
is difficult for one careful man who takes
pains to market in good order to get paid for
it, because there are not enough OF his
kind to establish distinction and cores
ponding price. The point to be gained is a
general reform in wool and the mode of
handling. Most people know how fleece
should be taken of, kept together and done
up. 1t is something OF an art to tie up wool
as it should be done, but it may soon be
learned. Unless fieeces are well done up
they can never be sold for their real value. |
So long as people bring it to market in
a blanket so mixed that no sim |
gle fleece can be identified, they
must expect buyers OF Indiana wool to
set the standard accordingly. and to suffer a
universal discount. Some of the best
combing woods are often sold at an inferior |
price, being mixed with lower grades, to be |
sorted out by second hands at good profit. |
For proof and illustration OF these state
ments, 1t is only necessary to inspect the
stocks which are daily coming into this |
CITY. i,