The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-02
WORLDS WOOL SUPPLY
IS AN ACUTE PROBLEM
naud, Due TO War, Production
Is Lowered Very Much

The worlds wool problem has been
made acute by the war, and IN the
United States the necessity for very
large increase in the sheep industry
haa become imperative,
Conditions are such that this in
crease muse be brought about on the
ali-round farms of the country. as n
part of general Agriculture: not as
specialized industry. The principal
reason for this is that the sheep
been reduced In area as agriculture
has developed. Grazing land has been
chanred to farming land
only one farm out Of seven In the
United states carries airy sheep. Yet,
by proper management practically
every farm can support some sheep,
without reducing other live stock. and
with a very small additional feed and
liator charge. Americas solution OF
Ithe wool problem IL to get shesp on
these eheeplees farms
The average annual wool frunorta-
ton OF the United States for the Lest
three years could have been produced
at home II one-fourth of the farms
without sheep had carried one sheep
to each three acres. Before the war
England had one sheep for each two
and one-hah acres OF It's entire land
area, white the United States has one
sheep for each 31.s acres OF farm
land. exclusive OF the Western ranges
some years ago England saw the
economic necessity esta hlishinr tho
sheep industry. FOR both wool ana
mutton, as a part OF the pernnanen
agricultural policy OF the country.
| That Is Americas necessity nova
| necess'tv accumulated hv the war hut
! caused Fundamentally ny conditions
that would have required readtust-
erts II there had been no war.
The great sheep countries have
| been the frontiers OF the world-ths
| new countries" un6eveIoped 4 FRI
| cuiturally, and having vast tracts OF
cheap land suitable for sheep ranges.
| Our own Western States Australia,
South Africa South America afford
ed such opportu- 'ties--Rnd do VET,
of course although not so extensive
| iy ar IN the past
! The object OF range production was
wool. Mutton was minor cons'd-
Grafton: frst because the world
didn't need Il and, second, because IL
couldn't ne transporte Ell from the pI-
oneer lands. Wool on the contrary,
could be held indefinitely. and could
he carried 70 market in time no mat
ter how limited or how difficult the
/ transportation facilities
! But these conditions changed as rail-
roads began to resrh the new coun-
tries." Homesteaders settled upon
range land and put IL into cultivation.
As agriculture developed lands ad-
vanced In value. Smaller areas were
available for sheep. Ocean refrigera.
ton and other transportation i'm
provements made IT possible for the
''front'ers' TO ship mutton to the other
side of the earth. High mutton prices
caused the slaughter of lambs to an
extent that prevented fiocks from In
creasing sufficiently to meet the wool
demands. For over six years the
worlds wool production remained
practically stationary.
There are no new frontiers to be de-
veloped-speaking from standpoint
Of the sheep industry, British South
Africa is the only important sheep
country where IL seems probable that
wool production can be Increased.
| The obvious conclusion is the one
reached by England before the war
and that must he followed In America
now--the wool deficit must come from
the farms.
| Immediate military needs will re-
qufre more than the total wool pro-
duction OF the United States. Our inn
portations of wool have been increaH-
ing very sharply in recent years. but,
| eliminating AL other considerations
| for the moment we cannot continue at
| that pace because OF the ship shortage.
| TO bring wool to America means to
send ships on long voyages TO distant
parts of the earth when every vessel
| ie needed in the Atlantic lanes to trans
port men. munitions and food to Eu-
| rope.
The production OF wool tn the United
| States decreased steadily from 321.-
ae7.75o pounds in 1919 to 2sofs2 GEO
! pounds in 1914; 7se.<so, 600 pounds in
1915. and 2s5,57s.oee pounds in 1917
There are 100000 fewer sheep In the
United States this year than In 1914.
| But the amount of wooa manufactured
in the United States Increased from
sso,s5s.s25 pounds In 1914 to T37.e7s
| s24 pounds In 1915. A stili larger
amount will be manufactured in 1917.
| Through the United States depart
ment of agriculture efforts have been
made this fall and winter to cause
farmers and breeders to save ewes In
stead OF selling them for slaughter.
These efforts have been successful. the
| smaller number going to slaughter