Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-12
CONNECTICUT WOOL SUIT IS PRESENT POSSIBILITY

A suat made of pure Connecticut wool! The thought will strike the ave rage citizen as a flight of fancy in this day and age, though there is no basis in fact for that attitude. Approximately 2S.000 pounds of raw, Nutmeg state wool have been manufactured into 6,000 yards of cloth and 500 bed blankets. If you happen to be one of the lucky .n- dfviduais you may corral some of the native suitings, for there are some 250
 distributors scattered throughout the state, most of whom are the farmers who raised and sheared the sheep. Somewhere in the neighborhood. Of B. 900 sheep of the Nutmeg staAe iost their heavy growth of wool in the sheariug process, yet most folks had no idea that there were that many in all of New England.
 In discussing the wool situation from
 Connecticut standpoint, Frederick S. Chapman of Old Saytbroot, vice presi- dent of the Connecticut Sheep Breeders association, imported the above stats,
 tics and intimated during the course of
 his conversation that the sheep raising
 industry within the state was due for something Of a boost. MT. Chapman attributed his belief to the encourage nlent given the wool growers under the I provisions of the recent tariff. And !i
 the recent action of Connecticut sheep | herders in pooling their interests rnay be taken as a criterion, there will he ! ample cooperation on the part Of the
 farmers in taking advantage of ti:e sit uation.
 Under the direction of the Connecti- cut Sheep Breeders association, up- 1 wards o6 250 farmers pooled their wool | and the entire bulk, amounting to 2s.- l 900 pounds: Was turned over to the l manufactuf eN 3or conversion into cloth. | The wool began to appear about the | middle of September and was gathered at central points throughout the state. 1 Cars were loaded at Willfmantic, Plain
 field, Saybrook, Sudbury, Seymour, Tor 1 rington and East Hartford, and the to- l tai collected for the pool represented 1 about one-haf the wool grown in Con- necticut. Some of the farmers sold the wool outright, and in those instances
 received fiat rate or 50 cents per pound.
 l For the first time in many years
 sheep raising is looming up before ti!5 1 Connecticut agrarians as a worthwhile undertaking. As a result several car loads of sheep have found their way | Into the state since the pool was put l over, and the next wool crop should l show substantial increase. In many 1 instances, farmers who wouldn't con 1 s-der having sheep on the place, aft
 now awakening to the possibilities il 1 that fled. and sheep are now seel where they never lbrowsed before. Ob
 vtously, t is the effect of the tariff, ant the results are noted in increased sheeG herds, with the, farmer acting as his ! own retailer after the cloth comes baci
 from the mill.
 In referring to the aims and purpose 4 of the Connecticut Sheep Breedera' as
 sociation, MT. Chapman stated that :!
 the farmer. that thousands of acres O pasture land throughout the state
 which is absolutely no good for tn grazing Of cattle. can be used in, pay
 ing way flor sheep raising. Sheen vii
 thrive where cattle will starYe, and in cidenta1ly they are a. valuable factor il
 keeping the pastures clear of the fast growing brush
 Connecticut farmers are seeking tn 1 light from a sheep-raising standpoln : and it was MT. Chapmans opinion tina :. the industry would show a healthy aa prosperous condition, with satisfactor 1 remuneration of the farmer and the re t claiming of a vast acreage that Is nol ? useless. MT. Chapman Is very well re membered in New London, having bee
 a member of the teaching staff al Bu ! kelley school years ago. He has serve 2 several terms as selecrnan of th g town of Saybrook and was elected
 represent that town Tn the next sesaio z of the state legislature.