The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-05-17
The Great Industry of WOOl-Gr owing I'm
the United States.
SHOULD 1T BE PROTECTED?

A careful estimate places the number of wool
growers in the United states at about seven
hundred thousand, and fully five hundred
Thousand men are employed by them to assist
in caring for their fiocKs and doing other farm
labor. majority of these flock masters as
well as their employed help. are heads of fam
lilies; therefore, If you add to their number
their wives. children and other dependents,
you will have population of at least four
growing of wool; or about one fifteenth of the
entire population of the United States. There
are no doubt fully one hundred and fifty thou
sand other farmers who keep a small humber
OF sheep, but these could not be fairly classed
growers of wool.
These seven hundred thousand farmers will
average to own or possess at least one hundred
and sixty acres of land each ;-making a total
of one hundred and twelve million acres de
voting the more desirable parts of their farms
to the raising OF grain. hay, etc., IA good share
of which is required for the feeding of their
season. and selecting The poor, rough and hilly
portions for the pasturtng of their sheep; thus
putting to profitable use their entire farms.
The number of sheep in the United States is
now estimated at fifty million head, and the
crop of wool at about three hundred and fifty
million pounds, and worth on the average of
last years prices about twenty-five cents I;
making the total value of the wool crop of the
country seyeniy-seyen million dollars,
There are sold annually for export and home
consumption from thirteen to fifteen million
sheep for their mutton, bringing on the aver
age about three dollars per head; making the
total value OF wool and mutton sold each sea-
son about one hundred and twenty-five million
dollars.
Ifyou remove the duty from wool, and SO
make the growing of 1t an Improbable business
it would render almost valueless the portions
of these farms devoted to sheep raising, and
thereby would decrease the average price of
the whole farm at least two dollars and a half
an acre, making a loss from this source alone
of two hundred and eighty million dollars.
Sheep would also decrease in value fully
fifty cents per head. making another shr'nkage
of twenty-five million dollars.
Wool would decline from seven to eight cents
per pound from the average price of the last
fifteen years.-addIng another loss of twenty
five million dollars. and the faI mers would be
so Impoverished by the low prices obtainable
Tor their WOOL that out OF actual necessity they
would be compelled TO reduce the wages Of
these five hundred thousand persons employed
to assist i'll the caring of their flocks and the
doing of other farm labor to the extent of at
least fifteen cents per day about fifty dollars
per year making Gill further loss of TWENTY
nve million dollars from this source alone.
Now, for the sake of reducing our revenue be-
tween five and six million dollars, we must
impoverish one fifteenth of the en-
tire population of the United States, and SO
force this large body of people to follpw a b.si-
ness that Will yield no profit, aud compel them
TO raise wool in competition with all the poor
and poverty stricken nations on the earth
where land and labor are fully one.half less
than in this country; and in doing this. we in
fict upon this most honorable and respected
American industry the following losses, viz: