Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-09-04


me dollar for each two and one-half feet
surface. He gave instructions for the
division and uses of the interior. and then
passed to houses and other buildings. Civ
ng very sensible advice about their con-
especially with reference to the
needs of the farmers wives. He recon-
mended the building of laborers' cottages
on the farm and the employment of mar
ried men who should live in. them. By
this means he said the farmers wives
might have nearly rs easy life as the
wives of the hired men.
Next came a paper on Resources of
the United States for Sheep Husbandry.
and the Wool Manufacture" read by Hon.
J. L. Hays, l. l.. d., of Boston secretary
of the National Association of Wool Man
ufacturers. we can hardly give an ade-
quate idea of this paper for the reason that
il consumed two hours, and would probl-
bly, fill seven columns of this paper. 1t
was an admirable defense of the sheep
growing industry, to which all the states
are open 10 some extent. The growing of
fine sheep for wool in any one place pro-
duces market at once, and starts kindred
industries. He remembered when the first
mill was started on the Salmon river. |
which, then farming country, has grown
into manufacturing district with $4,000
cotton spndles and fourteen sets of wooden
machinery, and the farming property
very greatly increased in value. The
farmers have been put by their mutton
and wool into more than comfortable cir
cumstances, while the wool manufacturers
themselves have not on an average made
3 per cent on their investments. The sheep
which are mainly found in this country
are the Leicester. Canada, Mexican and
Merino breeds. the latter being now a
characteristic of this country, there being
at least %, 0000 of them in the country.
Their wool is in great demand, and it is
used both in coarse and fine fabrics, and is
the best general wool that can be had.
The Merino wool is for clothing what
wheat is for food, aud its prevalence here
enabled the country to furnish during the
war better clothing for 2,655,576 soldiers
than any set of soldiers had ever before
had. A single mill in New Hampshire
now uses 10000 lleeces in every week
| This country has this year, according to
the best estimates, 1910, 500 sheep, and
last year the wool product was 2OS billions
of pounds. The great sheep in America
is the Merino. which was first introduced
into this country by General HUMPHREYS
on his land in this city or vicinity in 1902.
From his importations came the best
sheep that the country has had in pure
Spanish Merinos, for they were imported
direct from Spain. Another great advan-
age of these sheep is that they have free
potency which, in crossing them with the
Mexican sheep and other coarse grades.
produces sheep of the best quality, so far
as medium grade wool growing and NUT
ton 90. The finest of the American Meri-
nos came from the stock of Stephen At
wood of Woodbury., who raised the Amer
lean Merinos which in 1919 were bought
by Mr.. Hammond of Vermont and this
herd is the one from which the typical
American Merino comes.
These sheep, Australians say, are the
best sheep in the world. Their rapid in
crease is like that of other sheep Not
only has the improvement in the breed re
suited in better wool, but the average
unwashed fleece of the eve now weighs
fifteen pounds as against nine pound freces
of not many years ago. The ram fleece
averages in weight from twenty six to
.hirty-six pounds, and the average weigh,
of the ram is from $50 to 100 pounds. The
decline of sheep husbandry in the eastern
states is more apparent than real, for from
here come the rams that are taken to the
great wool-growing states and there
crossed with coarser grades to produce the
fine woods. He held that the south was to
be the great sheep-growing country, espe
cialy for the Silesian, Saxon and Electo-
raj, and other fine tleeces, and that Texas
and southern Georgia were the places OF
all others best adapted to sheep raising
He urged the growing of Leicester sheep
in the east and north, us best adapted to
the climate. and producing the wool for
which now there is great demand in the
, manufacture of worsteds. Another reason
for the constant exercise of sheep hut-
bandry is that their droppings make the
best possible fertilizer, us being rap
lilly found out in the tobacco growing
districts, where sheep manure used IL, II
fertilizer produced dark aud fine leaf.
suitable for wrappers for the best cigars,
and farmers were keeping sheep solely
for this purpose through the winter in the
Connecticut valley tobacco districts. lie
F exhibited specimens of carpets, worsted
goods, caSsimeres, dress goods, ilannel,,
. hosiery, underwear, blankets, etc, that
i
/ better and liner than anything that could
be imported.
, A recess was taken and the afternoon
. session began ut three O'Clock.
/ THURSDAY AFTERNOON SESSION.
The feature of the afternoon session
l was Professor w. II. Brewers paper on
4 g The Relations of Government to Agri
l culture" In beginning he compared the
: condition of our systems of land owner
= ship and the political rights of the tillers
t of the soil with other systems of lane
e tenure, saying: With US these grelI
. matters were practically settled by oul
+ national government when it came int
0 existence, and the experience of Il hun
y, dred years has shown us that in principle
: it cannot be bettered. We have improves
d its details, and further improvement il
d minor points is possible; but, as whole
: the system is rs nearly perfect rs human
:. wisdom can make it and the human sens,
o of Justice can suggest Any one ma,
+ own land; he is free to till it rs he choos
o es, the only restrictions being those Oh
o which community depends for its gen
i eral welfare and safety. 1t can be bough
: or sold without troublesome legal hin
n drance, its ownership brings with it n
e special political privileges, and the mel
IS who own or who till it have every politi
s cal right and privilege which any olhe
Il citizen has But the perpetuity of on
;; free government depends upon our keep
ii ing agriculture in the front rank, an
J. therefore, while in the past it has bee
!! developed mainly by private means. Their
d is growing wish to have our g we nmen
: give greater and more direct aid to agri
IS culture, us it has long done to commerce
a manufactures, railroad building, and in
e deed to everything that uses large amount
70 OF capita! controlled Or managed by fey
n persons. Late years various causes hav
e so modified. improved. and develope
'e other industries that the position Of agri
'e cultural production relative to that {
N other productions or sources of wealth ha
ct been changed, and now it must have al
X in ways or to a degree it has not hilbert
ID had, or the balance will be still more dis
II turbed. Complaint is made that unde
he government aid and Legislation other II
" dustrles have got far in advance of ayr
Of culture. To get back again to n bette