1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



73 



paid us a compliment we never expected. We 

 do not know who their mutual "friend" is, 

 and we do not see bow that friend could give 

 any article an importance to which the facts 

 and logic it contained did not entitle it. 



The doctor evidently labors under a mis- 

 apprehension, in the outset. It would be 

 folly to dispute that "prices rise in pro- 

 portion to the scarcity of a product," or 

 that "every pound brought into the United 

 States from Canada lessens the scarcity in our 

 own market." But the statement that every 

 pound thus brought into the country "takes 

 the place of so much domestic wool which our 

 people could and would otherwise grow to 

 supply the entire demand," is one which re- 

 quires a very large amount of qualification. 



The fact is that the Canada wool does not 

 take the place of the wool which our own sup- 

 plies, but it fills a place which our own people 

 have failed to supply. A large amount of that 

 imported does not in any way compete with 

 much of the so-called domestic combing. The 

 latter is soft and dull haired, being only quar- 

 ter or half bred Leicester, Cotswold or Lin- 

 colnshire ; very little full blood Leicester or 

 Cotswold being produced in the country. 

 Thus, as we have before said, our own people 

 do not produce the wool we want, consequent- 

 ly our manufacturers must have the wool from 

 Canada or stop their mills. They must not 

 only have this, but they must also go to Eng- 

 land. 



Now if the Canadian does not have to pay 

 the taxes, general and local, that our farmers 

 have to pay, the English farmer surely has to 

 pay heavy taxes and heavy rents ; much heavi- 

 er than the taxes of our farmers, when rent is 

 considered. Still combing wool in England 

 sells at 30 to 40 cents per pound, gold, and is 

 much superior to what our people have yet 

 produced, and it will be some time before they 

 do it. Until such time as they do, we must 

 obtain our supplies from other countries, or 

 our manufacturers must shut up their mills. 

 So far our manufactures have increased much 

 more rapidly than has the production of wool. 

 A year ago there were in the United States 

 over 250,000 pounds of Canada wool of the 

 clip of 18G5, and over half a million pounds 

 all told. Now there are not over 50,000 pounds 

 all told. 



Last week there were sold in New York 

 50,000 pounds of Canada wool, which was 

 shipped to England in July last, because the 

 English market then appeared more favorable 

 than ours. But wool advanced here, and it 

 was thought advisable to ship it to New York, 

 where it was sold for 52 cents per pound, gold. 

 Our best domestic combing brings 60 cents, 

 currency, ten cents less than the Canada 

 which paid ten cents per pound duty, and 

 eleven per cent ad valorem. 



The Doctor says "the attempt to show in- 

 ferentially that our home prices on long wool 

 have been depressed by the tariff, because 



those prices were higher under reciprocity than 

 now, is supported by no pertinent fact or even 

 argument, but simply the coincidence of two 

 circumstances." 



We were not aware that we did attempt to 

 show or to prove, either inferentially or oth- 

 erwise, that combing wool was lower now than 

 before the repeal of the reciprocity treaty. 

 We stated a fact which the Doctor does not 

 deny, but calls it a coincidence. Now we 

 supposed the Doctor was philosopher enough 

 to know that coincidences are effects of causes ; 

 and the cause of this coincidence is the fact 

 that trade has been bad in England, and the 

 combing wool there is not worth so much as it 

 was in 1865 by from four to eight cents per lb. 

 He does admit the fact that though the demand 

 here has been increased since the repeal of the 

 reciprocity treaty, contrary to the general law 

 of supply and demand, wool has decreased in 

 price ; and he does not deny the other fact, 

 that with the repeal of the reciprocity treaty 

 wool fell in Canada, and was twenty cents per 

 pound less last July than in July, 1865, and 

 that to-day it is less by twenty cents than then, 

 still our farmers are getting no more in conse- 

 quence of the tariff, but the Canadian is get- 

 ting less. These are the facts Avhich are un- 

 controvertible. 



■ Though the Doctor should not compromise 

 the dignity of the editorial chair by noticing 

 another anonymous article, we sincerely thank 

 him for the small favor he has so kindly con- 

 descended to confer upon us. We are to 

 fame unknown, and may prefer to remain so. 



This little incident, however, reminds us of 

 the stcry of a blacksmith who had gained re- 

 pute for the keenness of his edge-tools, and 

 who one day forgot in the process of manu- 

 facture to apply the steel. On being reminded 

 by his apprentice of the omission, he replied, 

 "Never mind, its name is up !" Other men's 

 names may be up so high as to give an article 

 all its "importance," but ours is not, there- 

 fore we are compelled to put on the steel. 



Boston, Dec. 11, 1868. Mentor, 



For the Neio England Farmer, 

 NEWPORT, MAINE. 



Many people in New England w^ho have 

 never visited Maine, form an idea of its cli- 

 mate from the winds which come to them from 

 "Down East." A more mistaken notion can- 

 not be entertained, as I have learned from a 

 recent trip through a portion of the State. 



Here I am now in the town of Newport, 

 the surface of which is nearly level, — there 

 being no hill of any note in town. Nearly 

 one-third of its area — some six miles square — 

 is water ; there being a large pond nearly in 

 its centre. 



The Maine Central Railroad, from Water- 

 ville to Bangor passes through the town, and 

 the village is also connected with Dexter by 

 another railroad. Newport Village is a place 



