Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-06-16

The Southdowns, Shropshire, Hampshire
noyns oxford Downs, and Dorsets are among
the better.known short-wool sheep. The Dorset
staple is the shortest.
The Cheyiot Is the best known among the
mountain breeds. The Chev1ot Is sometimes
called a middle-wool sheep.
The French Deeds best known are the
cboletaise which carry a good fleece, the Lar
FAC. a short, thick-set animal with long-fbered
but rather scanty wool, the Berrichome du Gre
van. better known for its heavy milking quail
ties than for wool, and the Manchamp sheep,
known as La Chamois, which produces a most
excellent long and fne-fbered combing wool.
In addition to the domestic sheep introduced
into America by the English, Spanish and Portu-
guese settlers, South America possesses a group
Of wool-bearing animals which are native to the
country. This group, the auchenia, Is one Of the
two branches into which the existing genera Of
the family Of the camelidae is divided. The 9th
er branch is the camel (camelus) of the Old
World.
Most authorities agree In dividing the au.
chenia into four species, the guanaco, the vicuna,
the llama, and the alpaca. The two last named
are not known in, the wild state, but were do
mesticated by the native Indians long prior to
the coming of the Spaniards to South America.
There is no reason to doubt that the guanaco
and the vicuna might also be brought under sub
lection.
The vicuna Is a smaller animal, about the
size Of the fallow deer. 1t is found in the high
mountains of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, seldom
descending below 10000 feet. Although it may
be tanned, 1t is to all intents and purposes a
wild animal. 1t yields an exceedingly fine and
delicate wool Of a reddish-yellow color, which
is worth about twice as much as alpaca.
The alpaca was the woolproducing animal Of
the Incas, as it is yet Of most of the people Of
the Andes and the west coast of South America.
1t is found principally in Peru and Bolivia, but
does not thrive below about 5000 feet.
All Of the South American countries are pro.
ducers of wool from the domestic sheep, and
most OF them are exporters to a greater or less
degree; but the recent development Of the sheep
Industry in Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile lends
a particular interest to South America as a pur-
veyor Of this one of the worlds staple articles
of trade.
The annual wool clip of Argentina for the sea.
son OF 1S49-50 was 100000 Kilograms, 1890, 900
pounds. This was a respectable showing for the
time and gave Argentina a position of impor.
lance In the wool trade. The wool, however. was
a coarse grade, most of 1t what is known to the
trade as Cordova, used by worsted spinners for
carpet yarns. In so years the industry had in.
creased thirtyfold SO that the clip Of the year
lS99-l90O was 239,000,000 k~ilograms-525, SOC, 900
pounds. This represented about one-fourth of
the worlds production. The quality Of the wool
meanwhile had improved.
A recent census Of the country (19OS) shows
67,2l1,754 sheep. 1t is almost impossible for the
mind to grasp these figures, but some Idea Of
their significance can be gained when 1t Is stated
that If the animals were assembled In a gigan.
tic drove, IL abreast, they would reach across
the continent from New York to San Francisco
This places Argentina second to Australia, which
leads the world with over $500, 900, the United
States third. with about 56,0OO,000. and England
fourth, with about 35,OOO,000.
The export of wool from Argentina for the
year 1908 amounted to 3S6,1S3, 900 pounds.