Australian Wool Growing

New Yoiík, July 23. - Samuel Mc I Caughey, of Melbourne, is oivner of a mlllion sheep and one of the most intluentlal wool producers in Australia. McCaugbey lias liad un gent busy all winter purchaslng tino specimens of American merinos in Vermonr, New York and Michigan. He has been at the Astor House a few days attending to their shipiiiciit. and the slieep were sent to London by the steamer Kichmond Ilill. American merinos wen Introduced in Australia by W. G. Markham, of Avon, N. Y., in 1880. Maikham was secretary of the national wool grower's issoeiatlon and convinced some Australlan 8heep men tbatthe tteeces of their sheep could ba increased in weisht by erossing with the American breed. The experiment proved eminently succes9ful, and the result is tuat rich dealers, wlio can afford the expense, are procnrlnjt as inuch American stock as possible. After vlug these and maiiy more mtereïöng points conceruing the difüculty and expense of pío uring American slieep, Mr. McCaughey said: "No doubt we cm produce sheep and wool niuch cleaper in Australia tluin you can liere. ffo do uot shepherd our Hoeks. We enclose the country in paddocka 10 miles squure witli seven-wire fences. The minimum cost per anniim of raiáing a sheep on frcehold land, of whicli our firm lias iUO.000 acres In one locality, is 54 cents for feed and 50 cents for inaiiagrément and shearing; but the ordiuary price for comuion shecp tli.it run on leased land at a nominal su ui from the (fovernment is only 4J cents per lKiad. The average wool product of cominon sheep is abont six poundsper head, whicli enables us to net 78 cents on each lleece at London, or $78O,(KM) for the wool i 1,000,000 sheep. U tho American tarilt is taken otl', our wool will be wortli ó cents more per pound at once and American wool will fall 5 centí. Our cbie source of profit is the sale of surplus stock for wbich there is always a ({ood market. I The sheep growlng ndu=try in Australii could be mucu extended."