The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-09-14
Sheep Raising In the South.

Secretary of Agriculture, has never
given the powerful. impulse Of his pa
ternalism to sheep raising in the
South and its almost incompatible po-
tentialities. Certainly here is the line
of "least resistance" to develop the
business. which, in turn, would give an
impetus to cognate or allied industries
that would put the South on plane of
development almost as great as was
given by cotton manufacture. Here
could be developed the business Of
raising lambs for the early markets,
North and West, an industry kindred
in its spirit to that Of raising early
fruits and vegetables. Here could be
raised woods that would furnish East
ern manufacturers.
Here would be the greatest centre
of manufacturing fine woolen fabrics
on the globe, for, with the cheapness
of lands South, the cheapness Of labor,
the healthfulness Of sheep, the fineness
of their wool, given the same breed, no
one could bring to the manufacturers
here so fine a wool at so low price.
OF course woolen manufacturers would
move South from New England and
elsewhere to weave this wool, as cotton
} manufacturers have done in the case
of cotton. I have long regarded wool
raising and the manufacture Of woolen
goods in the South as among its great
est unexploited resources and poten-
tialities.
But there is another aspect to this
matter that makes sheep raising in the
South a pressing necessity. Any one
familiar with the inroads the sawmills
are making on our yellow pine areas
of the South and the effects on the to-
biography this deforestation makes,
must view almost with dismay their
future condition. Our heavy precipi-
tation, in conjunction with the rolling
and hilly topography, sets the soil to
washing rapidly. The soil being sandy
more or less is soon quilted, and the
sand is washed into the valleys. The
landscape is SCARED and marred into
unsightliness, and, in many instances,
the ruin is irredeemable. This is pro-
ceeding at fearful rate, and some
large and concerted action is necessary.
The railroads, if they could only be
induced to reflect upon it, are most In
terested, for who will want to settle
on these cutover, unsightly areas when
the timber has been removed? At
present they are having fine business
in the tonnage Of the lumber these
great pine areas afford them from the
innumerable mills along their lines,
but after the timber is exhausted what
then? It is no answer to say that
truckers and fruit raisers will occupy
them. They will do so, and have done
so. in a measure, but they can only
sparsely populate the vast areas de-
spoiled by the sawmills. And, truth is,
these very sandy lands, with hilly
topography, ought never to be broken.
They ought to be put down In Bermuda
grass, red top or herds grass and white
clover. These would furnish pasture
for sheep the year roupd. ~:
Every considerable railroad in the
South might do an infinite service by
having several experimental farms on
their lines, where the finest wool breed
of sheep could be thus raised. They
would soon be largely initiated. This
Is a needed diversifcation in Southern
agriculture. Ere long woolen manu-
facturers would come in and prosper
GUS town would soon spring up. where
else some may be some day. irreclaim'
able wastes. - =
AS it is, there Is room for many
woolen factories in the Gulf States to
absorb the wool that is raised there
and carried at great cost to the great
wool markets of Philadelphia and Bos-
ton, paying many tributes to middle
men before it reaches its consumers IN
the South as woven material. OF these
wools the best are well known as lake
wool, and have been long esteemed and
bring high price.-M. B. Hillyard, Ii
the Tribune Farmer.