21 



farming. It furnislies an instance among hundreds of others that might be cited 

 of the truth of the opinion advanced in our report of a year ago, that in- 

 dustrial education should aim more to develop the faculties of the mind than 

 narrow it down to knowledge in a mere pursuit, fitting all for whatever occupa- 

 tion our changing American life and energies may invite the individual into. 

 "Here," as was remarked in that report, "the merchant longs to be released 

 from the distracting cares of commercial pursuits, and the opulent manufacturer 

 from the dangers of changing markets. Both anxiously desire the rest and 

 enjoyment found in the country life." It shows the truth of the remark of 

 Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts, in his address at Springfield, that "the 

 tendency of young men to seek other than rural employments is partially 

 balanced already by the tendency of their fixthers to return to them." 



Making all allowances for the favorable time in which the writer has made 

 his experiment, and the additional interest on the purchase-money of so much 

 of the farm as used in his sheep husbandry, which, we think, is not fully repre- 

 sented in the cost of keeping his flock, we still see how inviting to wool-growing 

 is the experience of our correspondent, as shaped by energy and business 

 intelligence. 



The future of the wool market is most encouraging. That the prices will be 

 affected by the retin-u of peace is very certain, but they will not be, we think, 

 to the extent of the change in the prices of other commodities. The south 

 has continued the war until it has become so much exhausted in labor, money, 

 means of transportation, and to the ruin of so many plantations, that a crop 

 of cotton, strongly comj)eling with ihc wool product, cannot soon be grown afte 

 the return to peace. 



Again, the price of Avool has never had an advance equal to most other pro- 

 ducts and to the advance in gold. The United States Economist remarks that 

 "there is no article in the catalogue of merchantable commodities that has ad- 

 vanced so liitle since the commencement of the war as wool," and this it shows 

 by the folloAving table, the first column of Avhich exhibits the market rates of gold 

 and the second and third columns the currency and gold prices : 



Month. 



JTanuary 



Feljruary 



March . ' 



April 



May 



Juue 



July 



August 



September 



October 



November 



DecembQr 



Averafre . 



