The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-09-11
AGRICULTURAL.
The Growth of Wool.

wool, and as regards the future of agriculture
in New England and New York, nothing is
more important than increased and intelligent
attention to sheep husbandry. Where the
production of wool is of primary Importance,
it is requisite that owners OF fiockS should be-
come fully acquainted with the essentials of
the higher priced grades, since it costs but
little more to produce first class grade of
wool than one OF inferior and unstable quail
ty.
The real value of wool depends on the
firmDess Of the texture and strength OF staple,
to suit the various demands of the manutac-
turer. In promoting the growth of good,
sound wool, much depends on the feeding of
the sheep, which should be regular and gen.
erous, thus insuring good supply of yolk,
without which the wool would not possess
elasticity, strength and softness. There is,
perhaps, no defect which renders WOOL and
otherwise good wool too, so absolutely useless
for manufacturing, and especially for comb
ing purposes, as tenderness and breachiness.
This fault, which causes the staple TO be ten
der, arises from the destructive effects of
drought, cold or other climatic causes, which
check the growth of the grasses and deprive
the sheep of their necessary and regular sup
ply of food. Nothing is so sure to cause a
break in wool, and in many sheep a perfect
stripping or shedding of the fleece, as want
of water. 1t is not only important that woods
scribed, but it is desirable that the whole of
the various parts of the fleece should have, as
near as possible, uniformity of character,
that is as regards fineness, length of staple,
density and softness.
1t is well-known fact that sheep fed on
bare, hard and scanty pastures produce the
finest quality OF wool but it is not so gener-
ally known that, although the texture is finer
such wool wants the strength of that growy
on better ted sheep. The manufacturer man
produce cloth from such woods which will
have fine, glossy appearance, but it cannot
be expected to have the durability of cloth
made from wool of a stronger pile; therefore,
the better sheep are fed, the better the quail
ty OF wool, at least to the consumer. These
remarks apply more particularly to clothing
woods, but as large portion of the woods
grown in this country is now used for comb
ing purposes, in making ladies' dress goods
and other fine fabrics, to which short
and tender woods cannot be applied, every
care should be taken by wool-growers that
their sheep be not neglected for single day,
as this neglect will influence the real value Of
their wool, often to the amount of several
cents per pound.
Wool buyers or staplers soon detect inferior
wool, by taking staple from the fleece and
trying its strength; that from well-fed ami
mails will stand considerable tug or pull,
while the other will give way at every part
by starvation or shortness of food. This
often occurs with careful feeders, if the sheep
are not regularly provided with suitable food
during very severe frosts, or when casting
their teeth, or at any period when they are
retrograding in condition. This illustrates
the importance of never permitting sheep to
fall OIL, since it affects not only the wool and
carcass, but most important OF all, the profits
o. the farmer. 1t is true that wool brokers
manufacturers qf arioa
lots OF wool that are offered, but they are
seldom deceived as to the quality, and only
buy tender combing woods with reluctance,
and much under the value of wel-grown.
sound staples. That farmer who systemat-
ically and persistently feeds his sheep prop
erly will secure clip of wool that will COM
mand reader sale and a higher price than
the product of the focks which are irregu-
larry and insufficiently fed.-American Cul-
tiuGtor.
History of the Beef Cattle Movement
In view of the large and growing proper
lions OF the beef cattle movement from the
West to the East, and to Europe-a subject
in which every stock-raser is interested more
or less-the fact should not be lost sight of
that this new feature 10 American commerce
Is OF comparatively recent origin. When one
comes to investigate the advantages eniOyed
by the Uulted States for raising cattle tor the
worlds consumption, so to speak, the facili-
ties thus afforded, both by nature and human
effort are somewhat phenomenal in their
character. The immense pasture land of the
interior OF the continent embraces an area of
1,000,0OO,000 acres, $50, 100000 of which lie
within easy access OF the railroads that pene-
trate the States and Territories between the
mississippi river and the Rocky mountains.
The regions referred to constitute perennial
pastures, "boundless, endless, gateless,''
where cheap mutton as we'll as beef NAV be
raised to feed not only the millions of labor
ers who Care sto develop the wealth of this
continent, but the people of Great Britain
and the Continent, who are to-day calling
upon the United States for large supplies OF
meat as well as wheat and corn. Eight
years ago the number OF cattle taken into the
Territories west of the Mississippi aggregated
about 100, 900. A few weeks ago the number
OF cattle registered in Colorado alone was
$4,000 and in the entire cattle fattening
regions nearly 100000 head. Grass fed
beef raised here, and very fat sell for three
dollars per hundred, live weight, and such
rates are proving very profitable to the rails
ers. The year 1870 witnessed the first beef
cattle shipped from Wyoming to eastern
markets. The growth of the cattle trade has
kept pace with the bnildiDg of the railroads
in the interior of the continent, and those
roads have fairly developed the resources and
capabilities of the business. The remarkable
fattening character of the cured and uncut
grasses of the plains and the valleys of the
vast grazing section of the country, were
noticed as long ago as in 1888 "a, when the
first military posts were established west of
the Missouri River. The animals used in
freighting supplies to these posts had been
wintered here with no food but what the
grasses afforded land the only shelter available
was that afforded by the bluffs and hillsides.
which proved ample. In 1849 the great Cali
fornia emigration commenced. Thousands of
oxen, horses and mules, used in this emigra-
ton were wintered without hay or grain.
The Mormons had previously moved to Utah
in large numbers and had wintered their
stock through several seasons entirely on the
cured and uncut grasses. In 1857, General
Johnston moved an army of several thousand
men to Utah and all the animals used in car
rying supplies for this army were wintered by
grazing alone. The fattening qualities of the
grasses of the plains, mountains and valleys,
naturally attracted the attention of stock
ralsers in after years, and coincidental with
the completion of the Kansas Pacific and
Union Pacific railroads, beef-raisng suddenly
became an important American industry.
The construction of those railroads also. gave
an impetus to the Texas cattle trade. Texas
is now 1.-THE great cattle hive of North Amer
ica."
The business has been gradually transferred
from the coast regions OF the state to the
high rolling prairies and to plateaus of North
ern Texas, localities scarcely less genial to
this attractive industry than even the rich
plains of the coast. Under peculiar circum-
stances the original native breeds of cattle
in Texas amalgamated into common stock, |
combining in larger degree the better points |
OF the constituent breeds; and those crossed |
with the Shorthorn repeatedly, have now be-
come the most desirable cattle for use and |
export. The influence of the Texas cattle |
trade some years ago interfered seriously |
with prices for beef in the eastern markets, |
but this evil has been partially remedied by |
the constantly growing demand for choice |
beef, and by the requirements of Great |
Britain for American beef. Cattle raisers |
now fully appreciate the necessity for good |
beef and keep pace with all improvements in
the production of that article.-American
Cultirdtor.
Fall Preparation OF Corn Laud.
Corn land can be prepared nearly ready |