THE WISCONSIN FAR.MER.    323



the effect of the cotton famine upon England
one would be led to suppose that the manufac
ture of cotton goods was the most importan
interest in that country, but Sheep Husbandrj
and woolen manufactures very far surpass it
   For biany years great attrntion has beer
 paid to the growth of sheep best adapted tC
 the growth of worsted.  It is a singular faci
 that very few of the most intelligent mer.
 chants in our large cities know precisely whal
 constitutes the difference between wool and
 worsted. Worsted is the long fibres of wool
 separated from the short by combing. Until
 within a very short period, this process of
 separation was done by hand, at very great
 expense, but within the few past years ma-
 chinery has been constructed which performs
 the work so satisfactorily that a revolution in
 the cost of worsteds has been effected both in
 England and on the Continent. So important
 is the growth of sheep best adapted to the pro-
 duction of worsted considered in England,
 that up to within the last 25 years, it was a
 penal offente to export a Leicester or Cotswold
 sheep from any part of the Kingdom. By
 this means England has monopolized the pro-
 duction of coarse worsteds, and to-day sup-
 plies the world with these fabrics. The im-
 ports of worsted and cotton-and-worsted
 fabrics into the United States this year will
 amount to about $17,367,672.
 The nature of our climate makes worsted
 goods more desirable than any other, and we
 have been for many years the best customers
 England has for this class of goods. The de-
 rangement of industry in the cotton growing
 regions, occasioned by the war, must necessa-
 rily produce a greater demand for worsted
 and woolen fabrics for years to come, and the
 tariff and high rates for exchange will make
 it profitable hereafter to produce the raw ma-
 terial and the manufactured goods in our own
 country. This subject has attracted the atten-
 tion of capitalists, and we are informed that a
 company has already been organized in Mas-
 sachusetts with a large capital, for the pur-
pose of manufacturing worsteds. It is confi-
dently believed that the enterprise will prove|



a success, and that worsted goods will hereaf-
ter be produced here to compete successfully
with England or any other part of the world.
All that is required to make it certain is-
that the sheep shall be grown.

  The soil and climate of all our Northwest-
ern States are admirably adapted to Sheep
Husbandry, and the farmers of that section
could not possibly turr. their attention to a
more profitable branch of agriculture. The
sheep best adapted to the production of worst-
ed are the Leicester and Cotswold breeds, and
can be obtained in Canada to any extent and
at reasonable prices. The carcasses are large
and the fleece of long staple, which makes
these breeds more valuable both for the clip
and for mutton.  In Illinois, and other parts
of the West, where corn is raised in such quan-
tities that it is at times used for fuel, the Lei-
cester and Cotswold sheep would pay h large
profit to th'grower, if raised and fed for the
mutton alone, leaving out of the account the
value of the fleece. Corn is a most excellent
food for fattening sheep, and there is no coun-
try on earth that can compete with the West
in its production.

  By looking over the market reports of the
three oities of Boston, Philadelphia and New
York, it will be found that the average price
of first-class mutton is higher at all times
than the average price of first-class beef, but
the largest profit in the growing of sheep in
our country is realized on the clip. In Cana-
la, where the Leicester and Cotswold are the
favorite breeds, the average weight of the
fleece is full 6 pounds after being washed. It
is estimated, in all sheep-growing countries,
that the increase of the flock will fully offset
the cost of keeping, so that the clip is clear
profit. In February we predicted that the
wool clip of the West would bring seventy
cents a pound. At that time gold was selling
at a premium of 72 per cent., which made le-
gal tender notes worth a fraction over 68 cents
to the dollar. At present gold is at a premi-
im of about 50 per cent., which makes the
egal tender note worth 66i cents to the dol-