, 1858-11-12

prices Of butter and milk, you ask the question
ais il strange that the farmer gets rich quick y
say it is very strange, and you would come tc
the same conclusion if you dare step into the
mercantile houses and there inquire il it is strange
that that class Of people get rich quick. Please
look at the prices between this place and New
York in the subscription list for weekly paper.
In New York, four pounds Of butter will pay a
weeks board here it takes sixteen pounds to
pay weeks board.
The farmer seldom gets rich off the merchant,
but, on the contrary, the merchant always gets
rich off the farmer. If you please, hereafter
pickle up the merchants with their great wealth,
as well as the farmers, and publish the above
and you shall have butter and milk next summer
at so cents.
FARMER
The above is in answer to an item in this
paper, two or three weeks since, giving the
prices of milk and butter in Steilacoom.
Since then the price Of milk has been in.
creased to enc dollar gallon, and we are
constrained to say, in reply to our query, it
is certainly not strange that our farmers get
rich quick. While we are sometimes made
to vince under exorbitant charges for such
articles, we are rather pleased than displeased
at the fact that the farmer can and does re-
ceive such liberal wages for his labor. 1t is
indicative of high state Of prosperity. The
N.wa arNialas .,,at,tiana1 v,,ilb ard bat
can be dispensed with, if need be, and their
large consumption is evidence of wealth in
the community. The French use little or
no butter and milk IN their kitchens or on
their tables, and there is less dainty fare
than they provide. If the French can sub.
sist without these luxuries, Americans
also can. Very little milk and butter were
consumed by the people of the Pacific before
Americans came here, and the pioneers
among our own people deemed t no great
privation to do without them. A free in
diligence in these luxuries, therefore, is an
indication of prosperity, and as such We re-
joice at it.
When it is taken into account that our
winters here are extremely short and mild,
there seldom being month Of weather suf.
6ciently cold for snow and ice, it is readily
seen that cows are very profitable. Here,
cattle are not even housed in the winter,
and find their own food during eleven
months Of the year; in the States they are
not only housed, but food must be provided
for them at least six months in the year.
The price Of milch cows here il about dou-
BILE the price in the States. The cost of pur-
chase and the cost of keeping are both to
be considered, in order to arrive at correct
idea Of the profit accruing.
Thus much for milk and butter. For all
descriptions Of vegetables better prices are
obtained here than rule in California, and
for many years to come the prices on the
Sound will be such as cannot tail to enrich
all engaged in producing them. 1t is need.
less to detail instancrs by comparison the
fact is too well known to require it.
OF the profits realized by the merchants
in their trade with the farmers we know
but little, as each party in such transactions
usually buys, sells, or exchanges to the best
advantage, and one bargain is no criterion
for another; but with regard to newspapers
we will say q few words. For the informa-
tion Of g Farmer," we will state that the
cost Of printing paper on the Pacific is 100
per cent. higher than is on the Atlantic,
while the relative cost Of all the departments
Of labor is in about the same ratio. A
weekly papes in New York, published in
connection with daily, as most of them
are, costs much less in composition than a
weekly paper disconnected with daily ,
for the same matter that appears in the daily
finds its way into the weekly paper without
being reset, thus saving largely in that de-
partment.
We fear Farmer" did not stick very
close to the truth when he wrote sin
New York four pounds of butter viii pay a
weeks board here it takes sixteen pounds
to pay weeks board" Let us see: here
the price Of board is eight dollars week,
and the price Of butter rs cents a pound ;
n New York the price of board (plain) is
four and five dollars a week, and the price
Of butter 20 cents a pound. The two show.
ings are rather conflicting. aasS a
As we have Published his Communication,
we hope sFaFmsr" viii keep in mind bis