1881. 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



i87 



ed it. It would seems as though we did not 

 want it from the way manufacturers act. 

 They know tliat fleecy wool, at to-day's price, 

 costs tlieiu, for tlie best qualities, under nine- 

 ty cents for the second jiound, while, had they 

 to import the same qualities, it would cost 

 them $1.03 and over, with a rising market 

 there, which means tluit wlien tliey want to 

 buy tliey will not be able to so at prices now 

 quotable. The slightest demand from Amer- 

 ica would put prices up there very materially. 

 Was tliere ever a year that we grow enougli 

 wool for our own use ? Are not tlie wools 

 imported in 1879—80 in excess of immediate 

 wants all worked off or nearly soV And we 

 know that nothing worth mentioning is on 

 tlie way at San FrancLsco. We find that out 

 of receipts of ten million pounds of the Fall 

 clip but live hundred thousand pounds have 

 been marketed, or in other words, the Cali- 

 fornians hold for certain prices wliich they are 

 sure to obtain if they but hold long enough. 

 It is certainly not their fault if we go tliere 

 and buy wool and sell it here for less than we 

 paid for it. We know such is time-lionored 

 custom; and they know it also and, mark our 

 words, somebody will buy all the wool they 

 have there at the prices they ask before 

 March. There is not a sailing vessel up for New 

 York, from San Francisco. It is hardly likely 

 that any of the Fall clip of this season will be 

 here by sail before April or May, so holders of 

 old Fall need not fear competition from the 

 present clip this season. In the meantime 

 short stapled Spring wools will have to take 

 their place. This demand will shortly absorb 

 all of that clip. Witli regard to manufactur- 

 ers, what do we findi" Wliy, all the goods 

 they can make up to ilarcli are already sold, 

 and many of tlie commission agents will not 

 take any more orders for goods. Tliis is the 

 case with cassimeres, flannels, cloakings, etc. 

 Have manufacturers who have sold up to 

 April or March bought their wool? If they 

 have not they are very unwise. We have 

 shown that Port Philip secured will cost $1.03 

 to import; Oliio XX will cost at present less 

 than 90c. scoured. Now before we get a 

 pound from abroad there must be an advance 

 in domestic clothing wool of 10 to 1.5c. tlie 

 scoured pound. 



That such au advance must take place be- 

 fore the 1st of next June is a fact as certain 

 to take place as can be reasoned out from or- 

 dinary business metliods. The factories are 

 all running full time at paying rates, and 

 there is no reason why wool as an article of 

 merchandise should not advance so as to 

 make it fairly prolitable to dealers, which has 

 not been the case for two seasons. 



It is well for all these interests to work in 

 harmony, so that this country may be able to 

 grow asufticiency for our wants, which sliould, 

 with our vast extent of territory, be the case. 



We have to note the great decrease in the 

 number of sheep in the United Kingdom since 

 1868, when there were 35,607,sl2, while the 

 number in 1881 has declined to 27,.s40,737, or 

 a net decrease since 1808 of 7,767,075, or over 

 twenty-two per cent. This gives an idea of 

 the sufl'ering among the peasantry of the 

 country. England gets her lack of wool from 

 her colonies, where the increase in wool is 

 very large yearly. 



We hope and expect to see Ohio XX selling 



at 50c. per pound, equal to SI for the scoured 

 pound, which is certainly cheap enough. Con- 

 sidering prices abroad and in California there 

 is every reason for sucli a rcHiilt. Holders of 

 wool who now sell at a Urns with sucli a pros- 

 |H'ct before them of a tiriu and advancing 

 market should go into some other trade. 



Our wool market remains very firm, especi- 

 ally for staple wool and fine fleeces, which are 

 \j) light stock and are generally held for higlicr 

 prices. In fact our se.iboaid markets are now 

 very firm and likely to so remain for some 

 time to come. 



London, Nov. 11, 1881. 

 To the editor of the U. S. Economist : 



Antwerp reports an advance of 10 per cent, 

 in Mesliza. Our home and export trade very 

 good. ^ 



HOW THE FRENCH MANAGE. 



When we Americans are bothering about 

 " family help " it is aggravating to- think liow 

 mucli better they manage these things in 

 Paris. A correspondent who has been study- 

 ing up th§se points writes as follows : 



Imagine the convenience of having a nice, 

 tidy woman coming up to your rooms eariy in 

 the morning, say eight o'clock, cooking your 

 breakfast and then doinj; all your cliamber- 

 work, sweeping, dusting and leaving you in 

 perfect order for the day by ten o'clock. Just 

 two hours, and all this for the modest cost <}f 

 ten cents. Their charges arc actually but 

 five cents an hour. A great many quite well- 

 to-do families live in this way, having the 

 femme de memtge two hours three times a day 

 to prepare tlieir meals and do the necessary 

 housework. For those who do not care to 

 take their early breakfast at home there are 

 the nicest little places, called crcmeries, where 

 you can get a bowl of coft'ee or chocolate and 

 a roll for four or five cents. These little es- 

 tablishments, in addition to their early l)reak- 

 fast trade, sell fresh butter and eggs, milk 

 and cream, cheese and fijjiit. It is surprising 

 what a small quantity of provisions you can 

 buy in Paris. For example, who would dare 

 in New York ask for two cents' worth of but- 

 ter ? Here it is a matter of course, and the 

 fresh, clean-looking girl, always wearing a 

 wliite apron and cap, serves you across a 

 snowy white marble counter, and cuts the 

 exact quantity with a wire, never making a 

 mistake as you will see when it is weighed. 

 Among other conveniences for those who do 

 not want to cook at home are the charcukrie 

 shops, at which arc sold cold ham, tongue, 

 veal and delicious gelatine, a sort of boned 

 chicken and turkey, all kinds of sausages, and 

 even sardines at retail, two for a cent. These 

 are all sold by the small quantity. 



A slice of ham for five cents is enough for 

 several sandwiches. Again at the Rotisserie 

 you can buy roast chicken just out of the 

 oven, whole or by the piece, a leg or wing, or 

 slice of breast. All kinds of game or meat 

 are to be had already roasted, or cooked to 

 order, and sent home at any specified hour. 

 It is an immense convenience, and a great 

 saving in fuel alone. There are also to be 

 seen little stalls where fried polalne.* and 

 small fish are sold hot, every day from 11 till 

 2 o'clock, wiien you will meet strings of girls 

 and men in their blouses hurrying off with a 

 brown paper bag steaming in their hands, 



two or three cents' worth being enough for a 

 meal, even for a hungry man. 



Speaking of fuel, I must tell you of a little 

 coptrivance I diccovered which is invaluable, 

 and certainly the cheapest cooking apparatus 

 ever invented. It is a tiny stove of sheet-iron, 

 hardly larger than a quart measure. It costs 

 about tw. nty-five cents. The material burned 

 in it is a sort of very fine charcoal called braise, 

 which is bought at the baker's. It is the 

 residue of the baker's fuel, and it Is sold very 

 cheap— four cents' worth being enough tq last 

 a whole week. The fire in this little stove ia 

 enough to make tea and coffee, and to boil 

 eggs, or even to broil fish and chops. It makes 

 no dirt, and it is exceedingly ea.sy to light a 

 fire. 



Our Local Organizations. 



AGRICULTURALAND HORTICULTU- 

 RAL SOCIETY. 



The rcirular meetlin.'iir ilir Lancaster f'miiity A?- 

 ricullural and HorUeiiltiiral Society was held Mod- 

 day afternoon, December 8th, In their room In the 

 City Hall building. 



The followlni; members were present : Jos. F. 

 VVitmer, Paradise; M. D. KcndlB, Creswell; F. R. 

 Diffenderffer, city; J. C. Llnvllle, Salisbury; J. .M. 

 Johnston, city; C. A. Gael, city; W. W. (iriest, city; 

 S. P. F.hy, city; .lames Wood, Little Britain; Cyrus 

 Nefl', Manor; B. Frank Landls, East Lampeter; Cal- 

 vin Cooper, Bird-iu-Hand; John H. Landis, Manor; 

 Johnson Miller, Warwick; W. H. Broslus, Drumore; 

 J. Hoflman Hershey, Salunga; C. L. Hunsecker, 

 Manhcim; Walter Hcinltsh, city; Peter 8, Rclst, 

 Lillz; Levis. Kcist, Oreeon; Ephraim 8. Hoover, 

 Manhelm. 



On motion the reading of the minutes of the pre- 

 vious meeting was dispensed with. 



Mr. Linvillc reported the wheat In Salisbury u 

 lookiiiK remarkably well— never saw It looking 

 bettor. He had thought that there were not half a 

 dozen peaches In the township, but a neighbor had 

 two or three peach trees on the north slope of the 

 Gap ridge, near the top, and fully exposed to the 

 north winds, which were full of peaches. 



Mr. Landis reported for East Lami>eter, a good 

 crop of wheat, also. The ralnfull for November was 

 2% inches. In tobacco there was a great deal of 

 white vein. The tobacco was nearly all sold. 



James Wood, of Little Britain, reported a pood 

 wheatcrop. Hcalso heard of a second cropof peache* 

 ou sale. 



Cyrus Neflf, of Manor, reported the same state of 

 affairs In regard to the growing wheat. The grasa> 

 also was looking well. 



Mr. Kendig reported the rainfall In Manor town 

 ship to be three and four-tenth Inches during Novem- 

 ber. 



Mr. Witmer of Paradise, remarked that he tested 

 one of his Alderney cows some time ago, and from 

 fourteen milkings in one week he had secured lO'/i 

 pounds of fine butter. 



Mr. J. C. LInville read the following essay on 



The Sanitary Condition of Fanners' Houses 



in Winter. 



Why should not farmers be the healthiest people 

 In the world ! Perhaps they are, and yet when one 

 goes to any assembly In the winter season he will 

 notice a va.st amount of coughing and blowing of 

 noses. Wlien you inquire of j-our neighbor regard<ng 

 the health of his family the stercot/ped reply is. In 

 case none arc sick, " all well except bad colds." 



Bad colds (who ever heard of colds that are not 

 " bad ") often lead to something worse. 



Our houses are made too nearly air tight. Patent 

 weather strips and tarred shcating paper are the 

 twin curses of modern house building. Our grand- 

 fathers bullded better then they knew. A log eabin 

 with a great roaring wood fire on the open hearth af- 



