Year: 1861

Our tOWnSman, Hon. u. u. Belden,
has lately returned, after an absence
of sFeral months. with f0Tteen hundred
stock sheep, the property of himself and
S. n. Parmelee, Esq, which they de-
sign keeping on their farm near Oma-
ha. They were purchased BY Mr..
Belden in Michigan, "a State second
only ta Vermont in the growth. OF
sheep and fine wooD, and were care
fully selected, both with regard to
health and quality of wool, from the
largest Aocks in that State, and he
feels confident that many of them are
fully equal to those so often sold for
prices ranging from fifty to two hun
dred dollars per head. The most val
liable breed Mr.. Belden brings with
him are the Spanish Merino, the wool
of which commands an extraordinary
high price in every market of the
world, and which, from their peculiar>
tiles will, it is believed, thrive better in
Nebraska than in any other section Of
the Union.


This is a move in the right direction,
and Messrs. Belden and Parmalee are
the pioneers in an enterprise, worthy
not only the attention Of our farmers,
but of all who have the interests of the
Territory at heart, and are DESTROYS of
seeing her progress as rapidly as pos
sible to wealth and influence.


We have ever believed that Nebras-
ka was specially adapted to the raising
of sheep-her broad prairies were
surely designed to make her the
greatest graising and stock raising
country in the world. In high roll
ing country, well watered with pure
springs and rivulets, and with dry
climate Ike Nebraska, with anything
like proper care, the growth and health
of sheep is almost certainty-Our
dry atmosphere, at least, will exempt
sheep from those diseases which have
proved so disastrous to fOcks in many
of the other Western States.


But considering everything equal
that Nebraska has no special or peCu-
liar advantages in this line, but stands
on precisely the same footing with her
sisters eastW2rd-there is nothing in
which her farmers can engage which
will enable them to compete with those
who are more conveniently located
with reference to a market, as in wool
growing. A ton or wool is worth from
seven hundred to one thousand dollars,
owing to its quality, and can be trans
ported from even the Far West to New
York fer very small per centage on
its value, while ton of wheat, worth
from forty to fifty dollars, is absorbed
by the freight before it reaches the
Atlantic seaboard, and consequently
cannot in ordinary times stand trans
portation any great distance in this
country, and leave a remunerative
margin for the producer. Besides,
wool is one of the great staples as well
as wheat, and has with it a world wide
use but unlike wheat, it is not per-
iShable, and consequently its price is
not so easily deprecated by the guam
tity produced. 1t always demands a
remuneratiye price, and even in this
extraordinary state of public affairs,
though a temporary depression in the
market was at first felt, wool commands
its usual figure. While commerce is
languishing, trade dull, and millions Of
bushels Of wheat and corn rotting in
the granaries of the Great West for
the want of buyers, her wool is sought
after with avidity and commands .
price which, in these hard times, can
be considered almost fabulous.


The farmers of the Eastern States,
who have Systematically and some
what extensively, for a series Of years,
devoted themselves to wool growing,
have invariably grown rich, and if it
can be pursued with great and certain
profit where lands are worth from sixty
to one hundred dollars per acre, it
will be singular if.a like result does
net follow its prosecution in country
where the pasturage of thousands Of
acres of the best lands in the world
can be had for nothing. We hope
this will be the Inauguration of a new
era in the products Of Nebraska.


Not the most uninteresting feature
of the advent of this flock of sheep
into Omaha, vas the performance Of a
couple Of trained shepherd dogs, which
Mr.. Belden purchased while in the
East. There is nothing which pertains
to the driving of sheep which they do
not understand, and instinctively per-
form, and with better success, and in
less time than a man can do it. 1t IS
wonderful to see with what quick in
telligence they understand the wishes
of the herdsman, and the singular
alacrity with which they carry III EN-
into execution.