Deterioration or Change in the Character of British Wool. It appears to be sufficiently established, by the evidence taken before the House of Lords in 1828, and other authorities, that a considerable deterioration, or rather, perhaps, change, has taken place in the quality of British wool, particularly during the 30 preceding years. The great object of the agriculturist has been to increase the weight of the carcase and the quantity of the wool; and it seems very difficult, if not quite impossible, to accomplish this without injuring the fineness of the fleece. Mr. Culley says, that the Herefordshire sheep, that produce the finest wool, are kept lean, and yield 1 lb. each; he adds, "if they be better kept, they grow large and produce more wool, but of an inferior quality." This would seem to be universally true. The great extension of the turnip husbandry, and the general introduction of a larger breed of sheep, appears, in every instance, to have lessened the value of the fleece. Speaking of the Norfolk fleeces, Mr. Fison, a wool sorter, says, that 25 years ago the weight was 21 lbs. a fleece, and that now it is 3 lbs. or 3 lbs. (Report, p. 356.) But according to a Table furnished by the same gentleman, containing the results of his experience, it appears that of 15 tods, or 420 lbs., of clothing wool grown in Norfolk in 1790, 200 lbs. were prime, while, in 1828, the same quantity of Norfolk wool only yielded 14 lbs. prime! —(Ibid. p. 207.) The statements of other witnesses are to the same effect. — (Ibid. pp. 388. 640. and 644.) According to the estimate in Mr. Luccock's Treatise on English Wool, which has always enjoyed the highest reputation, the produce of all sorts of wool in England, in 1800, was 384,000 packs, of 240 lbs. a pack. But Mr. Hubbard, a very intelligent and extensive wool-stapler at Leeds, has shown, that, supposing Mr. Luccock's estimate of the number of sheep to be correct, the quantity of wool produced in 1828 could not, owing to the greater weight of the fleece, be estimated at less than 463,169 packs; and it is now (1844) believed to amount to fully 500,000 packs. It is, therefore, probable, notwithstanding the decline in the price of wool, that, taking into account the greater weight of the carcase, and the greater weight of the fleece, sheep produce more at present to the farmer than at any former period. Number of Sheep in Great Britain. — It is not possible to form any accurate estimate either of the number of sheep or of the quantity of wool annually produced. With the exception of Mr. Luccock's, most of the statements put forth with respect to both these points seem much exaggerated. But Mr. L.'s estimate, which is considerably under any that had previously appeared, was drawn up with great care; and is supposed to approach near to accuracy. According to Mr. Luccock, the Number of long woolled sheep in England and Wales in 1800, was of short woolled ditto 4,153,308 14,854,299 19,007,607 4,221,748 211,037 1,180,413 59,020 1,400,560 70.028 7,140,156 Total number of sheep and lambs 26,147,763 In some parts of England there has been an increase in the number of sheep since 1800, and in others they have decreased. But we have been assured by competent judges, that, on the whole, the number has not materially varied in the interim. During the last half century a very decided increase has taken place in the number of sheep in Scotland, and a very great improvement in the breed, particularly in the Highlands. In this district, many of the proprietors have let their estates in large farms to store farmers, who have introduced the Cheviot breed of sheep, instead of the small black-faced heath breed that was formerly the only one to be met with. We may remark, by the way, that a good deal of unmerited odium has attached to the patrons of this system; for, though it be true that, in a few instances, the peasantry were rudely ejected from their little possessions, there can be no doubt that it has, on the whole, been decidedly advantageous. Besides rendering large tracts of country more valuable to the proprietors and the public generally, the condition and habits of the peasantry have been materially improved. Instead of loitering away more than half their time, as was their former practice, they have now either become the servants of the large farmers, or have resorted to towns and villages, and been metamorphosed into industrious tradesmen, fishermen, &c. A very small proportion of the whole has emigrated; and the country is more populous at present than before the sheep farming system began. In the General Report of Scotland (vol. iii. Appen. p. 6.), the number of sheep is estimated at 2,850,000; and allowing for the increase that has taken place since 1814, we may, perhaps, estimate the total number of sheep in that part of the empire at this moment at 3,500,000. And in consequence of the rapid extension, during the last dozen years, of the practice of turnip-feeding, both the weight of the carcase and of the fleece have been largely increased. According to Mr. Wakefield, there is not a single flock of breeding sheep in the whole province of Ulster. (Account of Ireland, vol. i. p. 341.) And though there be considerable flocks in Roscommon and other counties, we believe that, if we estimate the whole number of sheep in Ireland at 2,000,000, we shall be a good deal beyond the mark. On the whole, therefore, if we are right in these estimates, the total number of sheep in Great Britain and Ireland may be taken at about 32,000,000. This estimate is 10,000,000 under that given by Dr. Colquhoun for 1812; but that learned person assigns no grounds whatever for his estimate, which is utterly inconsistent with all the really authentic information on the subject. It is curious enough to observe the German statistical writers referring to Colquhoun's statements, as if they were of standard authority. They would be about as near the mark, were they to quote the "Arabian Nights" in proof of any disputed historical fact. Number of Sheep and Quantity of Sheep's Wool produced in England, according to Mr. Luccock's Tables, revised by Mr. Hubbard, and made applicable to 1828. N.B.The wool from slaughtered sheep and carrion not mentioned in this Table; but allowed for above. British Trade in Wool. From 1660 down to 1825, the export of wool was strictly prohibited. A notion grew up towards the end of the 17th, and continued to gain ground during the first half of last century, that the wool of England was 'superior to that of every other country; that long wool could not be produced anywhere else; and that if we succeeded in keeping the raw material at home, we should infallibly command the market of the world for our woollen manufactures. In consequence, innumerable statutes were passed, the enactments in some of which were the most arbitrary and severe that can be imagined, to prevent the clandestine exportation of wool. Mr. John Smith was one of the first who, in his excellent work, entitled Memoirs of Wool*, exposed the injustice and absurdity of this system, by proving that whatever advantages the manufacturers might gain by preventing the exportation of wool, were more than lost by the agriculturists. But in despite of Mr. Smith's reasonings, which were enforced by many later writers, and which experience had proved to be in all respects accurate, the prohibition of the exportation of wool was continued till 1825, when Mr. Huskisson happily succeeded in procuring the abolition of this miserable remnant of a barbarous policy. The improvement of machinery, by enabling short or clothing wool to be applied to most of those purposes for which long or combing wool had been exclusively appropriated, had annihilated the only apparently tenable argument on which the prohibition of exportation had ever been vindicated; and even this, it will be observed, applied only to a small proportion of the whole wool produced in England. Down to 1802, the importation of foreign wool into Great Britain had been quite free; and, being the raw material of an important manufacture, the policy of allowing it to be imported free of duty is obvious. In 1802, however, a duty of 5s. 3d. a cwt. was laid on all foreign wool imported. In 1813, this duty was raised to 6s. 8d.; and in 1819, Mr. Vansittart raised it to the enormous amount of 568. a cwt., or to 6d. per lb. Had English wool sufficed for all the purposes of the manufacture, such a duty would have been less objectionable; but the very reverse was the case. The use of foreign wool had become, owing to the deterioration, or rather, perhaps, to the change in the character, of British wool, and other circumstances, quite indispensable to the prosecution of the manufacture: and as our superiority over the foreigner in several departments of the trade was by no means decided, it is plain that the imposition of a duty which amounted to about 50 per cent. upon the price of a considerable quantity of the wool we were obliged to import, must, had it been persevered in, have ruined the manufacture. It occasioned, indeed, during the period of its continuance, a considerable decline of the exports of woollens, and was productive of other mischievous effects, from which the manufacture suffered for a considerable period after it was repealed. The evidence as to the absolute necessity of employing foreign wool, taken before the Lords' committee, was as decisive as can well be imagined. Mr. Gott, of Leeds, one of the most extensive and best informed manufacturers in the empire, informed the committee, that, in his own works, he used only foreign wool. On being asked whether he could carry on an export trade to the same extent as at present, if he manufactured his cloth of British wool, Mr. G. replied, that, in certain descriptions of cloth," he could not make an article that would be merchantable at all for the foreign market, or even for the home market, except of foreign wool." We subjoin a few additional extracts from the evidence of this most competent witness. "Can you give the committee any information with respect to the competition that now exists between foreigners and this country in woollen cloths?"—"I think the competition is very strong. In some instances the foreigner has, probably, the advantage; and in others, the superiority of the British manufacture, I think, has greatly the advantage; that would apply, I should say, particularly to the fine cloths of Great Britain compared with foreign cloths; in some descriptions of low cloths, the foreigners are nearly on a footing, and in some instances, perhaps, superior to us." Speaking of the finer cloths, is the competition such as to render an additional duty on the importation of foreign wool likely to injure the export trade? "—“ I have no doubt, 66 This learned and accurate work contains a great deal of information with respect to the progress of manufactures and commerce in England. speaking on my oath, that it would be fatal to the foreign cloth trade of the country. I In another part of his evidence, Mr. Gott says,a yard were put before a customer, one made of British wool, the other of foreign wool, one would be sold, and the other would remain on hand: I could not execute an order with it. If any person sent to me for cloth of 78. or 8s. a yard, and it were made of English wool, it would be sent back to me, and I should resort to foreign wool or foreign mixed with British, to execute that order.” On Mr. Gott being asked whether, in his opinion, the price of British wool would have been higher, had the duty of 6d. per lb. on foreign wool been continued, he answered, My opinion is, that the price of British wool would have been less at this time; the demand for British wool would have been very much less. factures would have been shut out of every foreign market; and the stock of wool would British manuhave accumulated, as it will do if ever that duty be imposed again." —(Mr. Gott's Evidence, pp. 292, 293.) The view taken by Mr. Gott of the effect of the importation of foreign wool on the price of British wool was supported by the concurrent testimony of all the manufacturing witnesses examined by the committee. Blankets, flannels of all sorts, baizes, carpets, bearskins, &c. are made principally of English wool; and the command of foreign wool enables the manufacturers to use a considerable quantity of English wool in the manufacture of certain descriptions of cloth, which, if made entirely of it, would be quite unsaleable. On Mr. Goodman, a wool-stapler of Leeds, being asked whether, if a duty were laid on foreign wool, it would force the use of English wool in the manufacture of cloths, from which it is now excluded, he answered, we could not get people to wear such a cloth; they want a better, finer cloth; it is so much handsomer in its wear, and so much more durable." "Certainly not: (Report, p. 241.) - -66 Mr. Francis, of Heytesbury, declared, that there was no demand for cloth made wholly of British wool; that it was principally applicable to the manufacture of blankets, baizes, &c.; and that the exclusion of foreign wool would only injure the manufacture, without raising the price of British wool. — (p. 268.) Statements to the same effect were made by Mr. Webb (p. 270.), Mr. Sheppard (p. 294.), Mr. Ireland (p. 319.), and, in short, by every one of the witnesses conversant with the manufacture. The history of the manufacture since 1828 has completely confirmed the accuracy of the statements made by Mr. Gott and the other witnesses. of foreign wool have been imported during the interval; but the price of British wool Very large quantities has, notwithstanding, maintained its proper level; and has, in fact, been at an average considerably higher since the reduction of the duty on foreign wool than previously. Foreign Wool imported into England. the course of the present century, both as respects the quantity of foreign wool imA very great change has taken place, within ported, and the countries whence it is derived. Previously to 1800, our average imports of wool did not much exceed 3,000,000 lbs., mostly brought from Spain; the wool of which long maintained a high character. In 1800, our imports amounted to near 9,000,000 lbs.; and they have since gone on gradually increasing, till they now amount to between 55,000,000 and 75,000,000 lbs. ! Instead, however, of being principally derived from Spain, as was the case down to 1814, the greater part by far of this immense supply of foreign wool is at present furnished by Germany, the Australian colonies, and the East Indies. breed of Merino sheep into his dominions, and exerted himself to promote the growth The late king of Saxony, when elector, introduced the of this valuable race of animals. most signal success. The Merino sheep seem to succeed better in Saxony and other GerHis praiseworthy efforts have been crowned with the man states than in Spain; and have increased so rapidly, that the Spanish wool trade has become insignificant compared with that of Germany! The importations of German wool were quite trifling during the war-amounting, in 1812, to only 28 lbs.; but since the peace they have increased beyond all precedent. In 1814, they amounted to 3,432,456 lbs. ; in 1820, they were 5,113,442 lbs. ; in 1825, they rose to 28,799,661 lbs. ; but this being a year of overtrading, they declined in 1826 to 10,545,232 lbs. Subsequently, however, they recovered from this depression, and, in 1836, amounted to 31,766,194 lbs. They have since, however, sunk very rapidly, principally in consequence of the rapidly increasing imports of colonial wool. The breed of sheep that was carried out to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land has succeeded remarkably well; and Australia is already, perhaps, the principal wool-growing country of the world, The imports into Great Britain have increased I. Account of the Values of Woollen and Worsted Goods and Yarn, exported in different II. Return of the Rates of Duty chargeable on Foreign and Colonial Wool, the Quantities imported, and the Prices of Southdown and Kent Long Wool, in each Year from 1818 to 1845. III. Prices of Southdown Fleeces in the Month of July, in each Year, from 1846 to 1853, both inclusive, per Pack of 240 lbs. IV. Account of the Quantities of Wool (Sheep, Lamb, and Alpaca) imported into the U. Kingdom from various Countries, during each of the 15 Years ending with 1858, specifying the Countries from which it came, and the Quantities brought from each. The re-exports of foreign wool amounted in 1858 to 26,587,428 lbs. In 1857 the re-exports amounted to 36,356,348 lbs., but that was much above the average. The price of Colonial Wool in London in April, 1859, was as follows, viz.: |