bred lambs have not only thicker, but longer fleeces than the common lambs, though these have naturally much longer wool than the Spanish Merino. This is an important circumstance, as it shows how necessary it is to cross the breed of sheep with those of a better stock. Should it be objected that the object here is to procure a great quantity of wool without regard to the quality, I would observe, that this might be true, if our landholders were an indigent peasantry, who sought only to be sheltered from the cold, instead of being what they are, and, I trust, always will be, men in such easy circumstances as to look beyond the mere necessaries, to the conveniences and comforts of life. Such men will take a pride and pleasure in being dressed in clothes whose softness and pliancy give warmth to the body, pleasure to the touch, and grace to the wearer; and they will be doubly proud of this, if it is the product of their own farms, and of the industry of their wives and daughters. That this is the fact, we may infer from the quantity of foreign clothes that are worn by farmers, whose own flocks might supply them abundantly with cloth of inferior quality, if they looked only to warmth in their dress; and from the attention that those among them, whom economy or patriotism induce to wear their own wool, pay to rendering the cloth as fine as the materials will admit. If, however, it should be thought, that cloth finer than the third quality of British cloth, which is generally worn by people in easy circumstances in our country, would be unnecessary, this may be procured by crossing our breed with the Merino, so as to have half, or even quarter bred Spanish sheep. This would add to the quantity as well as to the fineness of the fleece, and by sorting it we would have wool sufficiently fine for the master of the family and for his children, with a coarser sort for the domestics. In fact, the introduction of this breed of sheep will enable every man to have that quality of cloth that he likes best, without any additional expense, except that which arises from the spinning finer, which, being a domestic operation in most farm houses, will not be much re

garded. In order to give some idea of the fineness and ductility of this wool, I cannot help mentioning, that Sir Joseph Banks, in a letter to Arthur Young, informs him, that the fleece of his Spanish sheep was spun into yarn 156,800 yards (about 90 miles) to the pound. Cotton, in machines, could only be spun into thread of 92,400 yards, and in jennies 144,000; which is much finer than can be spun by hand in England, though it is somewhat exceeded in France.

Though the climate of England, from its too great moisture, is not calculated for these sheep, yet it appears from this circumstance, that they do not soon degenerate even there; and I should suppose, from what I am going to mention, that they are turning their attention to the improvement of their sheep, by a mixture with the Merinos. About 20 rams, from the king of England's flock, (for he is himself a considerable farmer) were sold last year at auction; they fetched from thirty to forty guineas a piece. It would then be unpardonable in us, in our country, where they thrive so well, to neglect the propagation of them. I have hitherto viewed this question, with an eye to the domestic manufactures that we now carry on. But what prevents our manufacturing not only what is necessary for our families, but for the general consumption of our country? Why should not our city beaux, who look beyond convenience to elegance, find the gratification of their taste in the product of our own, rather than of foreign looms? The price of labour is the general objection. This is already diminished by carding-mills, which do the work better, and leave more women to employ in spinning, and of course must reduce the price of their wages. Mills have also been lately erected for spinning wool; and certainly if any wool can be spun fine in mills, it will be that which, from its softness and the evenness of its texture, most resembles cotton. Is it possible, that the price of labour can operate in an equal degree with the various charges that enhance the value of a piece of superfine British broadcloth, before it comes to the hand of the American consumer?

Twelve

1st. The wool must be purchased in Spain, where a com mission of not less than 5 per cent. must be paid. The mean duty upon the exportation of wool from Spain is 6d. sterling a pound, but upon fine wool much higher, because the duty is proportioned to the quality. This then is not less than 15 per cent. Transportation to the sea-ports, freight and insurance, port charges at landing, must amount to at least 5 per cent. more before it is stored in London. The merchant's profit cannot be less than 10 per cent. Thus, before the manufacturer receives the wool, it has paid 35 per cent. upon the first cost.→→→ When manufactured, the clothier purchases it, sells it to the merchant-it must be packed to send off, and transported to London, or Liverpool, or Bristol; it pays a duty of 2 per cent. on exportation to America, though not elsewhere; freight, insurance, must be charged, and commission paid by our merchant to his London correspondent of 5 per cent. When it enters our port it pays 10 per cent. to the government. per cent. is the smallest profit our merchants charge. All these articles taken together, will add one hundred per cent. to the price of a pound of fine wool, manufactured into cloth, before it comes into the hands of one of our shopkeepers; and yet this is but a small proportion of the charge, for the commissions, duty, freight, &c. are not merely paid upon the original price of the wool, but upon every previous duty and charge, and upon every expense that attends the manufacturing of it. Thus a pound of fine wool, worked into superfine cloth, is worth, as it comes out of the loom, 68. The commission thus is upon the 68, and not upon one, the original price of the wool. If then we pay 100 per cent. on the price of the wool, before it reaches us, we pay in mere charges, independent of the price of labour, upwards of 600 per cent. beyond the price of labour upon the value of the raw material: But the price of labour here does not double that of England; of course, then, it is not the price of labour, but the want of fine wool that has hitherto prevented our manufacturing; and this every farmer

knows, for all manufacture their wool rather than sell it, though they might buy coarse cloths relatively cheaper from the British merchant than fine ones, because the native wool of England, which serves to make such cloths, comes 35 per cent. cheaper to the manufacturer than the Spanish wool; and wool of the description which answers for such cloths, is 50 per cent. cheaper in England than in America: yet, even such cloth, we find a profit in manufacturing for ourselves. How much greater then would the profit be, upon the working of fine wool, where the labour would be but little advanced, and the value more than double? Let any man make this simple experiment; let him sort his wool with attention, and pick out that only which will make the finest cloth to be made from our wool; let it be carded, spun and wove by the same persons, and at the same rate that his coarse wool is fabricated; he will find, that one will give him cloth worth about 10s. our money, or 20s. if it was the breadth of English cloth; while the other will give him cloth only of 6s. and 6d. at the same expense, and demand more wool. If then cloth at 6s. and 6d. per yard pays him 2s. and 6d. for his wool, cloth of 10s. must pay him 7s. and 6d. ; but if, instead of the wool of our sheep, he has Spanish sheep, not the sorted only, but the whole fleece will be so much finer than even his sorted wool from a common flock, that with exactly the same labour that he has expended upon his cloth of 6s. and 6d. the yard (yard wide cloth,) he will have cloth worth at least 15s. that is, he will sell the whole of his wool (supposing, which is the case, a pound of wool would make a yard of cloth, and the expense of spinning, weaving, &c. to be 5s.) at 11s. per pound. I suppose in this case the wool to be all spun equally coarse, yet the difference in the softness and suppleness, and in the wear, for the - softest cloths not only wear longest, but are much warmer than those which are harsh, would make the difference I have stated in the price. I again then repeat, that it is not the high wages, but the want of good wool that has stopped the progress of our manufactory of cloth. It is true, that we have not as yet the

quantity of wool that is necessary to supply our wants; but how long should we find this deficiency, if, without any diminution in the quantity, or without any additional expense, the price of our wool was doubled? I confess, that since the introduction of Spanish sheep, I have become so sanguine as to look forward to a period, and that too at no great distance, when this, and the Eastern States will not only manufacture cloths in sufficient quantity for their own consumption, but for that of their neighbours. It is certain that no country in Europe is better calculated for fine woolled sheep than this and the neighbouring States. The price of land is comparatively low; our grounds are high, and well watered, and our pastures good; our common grass is of the best and richest kind; the poa pratensis, and poa trivialis (which we call spear grass, and blue grass) are the most common, and most nutritious of all grasses. White and red clover abound, since the introduction of gypsum, in fields that were burned formerly during the summer; these may be made into hay for winter provender, at half the price that it would cost in the moist climate of Britain. Add to this, that our fields are enclosed, which saves the expense incurred by the constant attendance of shepherds. Our sheep have few maladies; many that are common in Europe are unknown here. There the rot sweeps off whole flocks. I never saw or heard of the rot in this State. Indeed, I know of but one disorder that is common among our sheep, the scab. This seldom is seen where the sheep are well kept, and is easily checked by removing the infected sheep as soon as it is visible. I have found it useful, when the snow lays long on the ground, to carry pine or cedar boughs into the fold, which they eat readily. When these cannot be conveniently procured, tar spread thinly over a board, and strewed with salt, is a good substitute.

The Spanish shepherds, when they perceive, by the wool's rising, the commencement of the scab, they pull out the lock, and, taking salt in their mouths, drop the spittle on the bare spot, which, they say, will stop its progress. The best method,