Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-12-22
Wool Growing.
To TIE Efttors Of the Ctron.ele.

10 me ElitOTS OF me tCTOh.ctt:
Permit me to again trouble you with
my jOttings by the wayside in Monroe.
| am not satisfied our people are doing
all they can in the introduction of
sheep. There does not seem TO be the
conviction that sheep pays better than
any other stock raised, and that they
are more profitable for the amount in
Vested, and the cost of maintenance.
In long interview with two intelli-
gent wool growers from Indiana few
days since, they state that more clear
money is made by raising wool than
any other crop grown in that part of
the State, as well as in Ohio, From a
careful investigation made by them,
they are Of the opinion we can raise
wool in our climate cheaper than any
portion Of our country, not excepting
Mexico, where p. {. Armigo sold 900
600 pounds last year, and owns
two million sheep. The great
drawback to our success in
wool growing has been secured by
the tax on dOgs-which it has taken a
long time to bring about, as our people,
portion Of the Hair producing, are
like the whisky and tobacco grumblers.
" Ii is taking away their liberties"
If our people will improve the breed of
sheep aud increase the quantity, it
will be Of far more service than the
issues now being 8gitated Of the cur
rency whether of national banks,
greeubacks or coin.
Wool will be basis of wealth equal
to gold and silver, and will fill up the
farmers time in the care and protec-
ton Of his tiOcks far better than in GO
ing to the hastings to hear some lean
politician bleat of initiation or of con-
traction, az there is nothing to con-
tract the product to the sheep grower
but the dogs, and they are like large
number OfOur wise currency politicians
are-after the pelf.
Sheep grazing cOmmends itself to
our people with great force, inasmuch
a. it is a means Of restoring large
area of lands that are now turned out
as worthless, and to a stranger visiting
our country, it tends to depreciate the
| value of our lands in productiveness.
There is no use in saying East Ten
nessee can not produce feed for sheep
as well as Ohio, Indiana and even
Mexico, as / do know from experience
and close observation Of thirty years.
| If our people will study geology and
y
! for our common schoo!s) they can fer
| tilize the soils of East Tennessee with
lime (Which is cheaper here than in
any other part of the world) aud pro-
| duce grass with equal readiness, a. in
! Kentucky. 1t j. trlfle more trouble to
| furnish the same amount Of fertilizers
| from our lime stones, although they
| have been under more heat, conse
| quentiy, to some extent, cry.taliZed.
| But there j. no "eXceilelcy without
great labor
Now, grasses and sheep, with i'm
proved breeds OF cDWs-JeT-eys, aud
Short Horns and DevOns crossed up
on our active, wiTy native scrub, vii
soon change the whole aspect Of East
Tennessee, and increase our products
four fold. above raising corn alC
wheat. This is business with Oul
farmers, and II my proposition IS mol
true | have been cropping in IN,
hills Of East Tennessee With no puE
pose, aud viii admit 1 do not know
what the application Of lime can do
Go ask "a man from Western New
York "a lime stone district, like our
! why they put on to their lands 20 u
, 80 bushels Of Stacked lime per acre
when the lime stone, like "A large poi
ton OfOurs, crops Out above thesuTfact
90 ask, As did the Other day, an indy
y nant Southern cotton planter frOr
) Georgia, who was travelling with hi
whole family in Tennessee, with ever
> appliance Of wealth and Prosperity
what had enabled him TO OvrrcOm
D., the loss OF negroes, property, &c, b
y the late war? He will tell yOu-guan,
: barn dirt phosphate fertilizer; All
name you give 1t, lime is the basis.
i has restored his exhausted lands All
p enabled him to raise corn, wheat, gras
J, potatoes, DC, that he could feed his I,
k bOTers on, for One-tenth the cost of in
e porting his bread from East Tennesse
k Ia fact, he was Independent Of Tenn
r. see, except for mules, rs he could x
% bacon from Cincinnati for less this
p, from Tennessee. The demand f
}, sheep Is now greater than for any p
/ riod in thirty year, and sliil the val