Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-08-09
COUNTY CONVENTION.
Butter and Wool.

Much anxiety is felt among all farm
ers in this section, and Of course
everywhere else in regard to the fu-
ture standing of the butter and wool
markets. This of course is very natu-
raj, as these two staples are what many
of our farmers depend upon for their
cash receipts. We have frequently
been inquired of for our opinion in
the matter. We of course do not
know any better than they do, and
probably not so well. Forty cents is
generally offered by manufacturers of |
wool, and butter is generally worth at
present from 20 to 25 cts. per pound.
Rather than sell for these prices own
ers generally prefer to hold on, evil
IDENTIFY expecting a rise, in which we
hope they may not be disappointed
But before they hold on for much OF
an advance let them ask the question
of themselves "what is to make these
articles any higher ?" and if they can
form any reason for rise they can do
much better than we can. People
who look for and wish higher prices
reason thus: Butter at 25 cts. and
wool at 40 cts. is out of proportion
to what we have to pay for other stuff,
and they must therefore come up from
five to ten cents" On the face of it
this reasoning appears to be sound,
and such has been our view at first,
but there is a more logical way to
reason than this. Prices of all COM
modities are generally regulated by
supply and demand. When there is
no demand the prices of course are
merely nominal, no matter how large
or small the supply. When there is
q large demand then is the time that
prices range high and produce or goods
sell at exhorbitant rates. This ap-
pears to be the case at present with
the wooden manufacturers; there is no
demand; they have heavy stocks on
hand already manufactured and lying
on the shelves and in the warehouses,
and of course as long as the market
is glutted with wooden goods there
will be very small demand for more
of the raw material. This is certain
ly sound sense. In butter there is
no great call; formerly we were ship
ping to California and to Europe
This year California makes her own
butter, while the European market is
not so lively as in former years. Why
it is so we do not pretend to say, but
probably the reign of peace
that the present foreshadows has much
to do with it. Our farmer friends car
see the force of this reasoning by re
ferring to the prices that reigned dur
ing the war. There was case whert
the demand was large both for tn
army and for foreign shipment, Will
the producing class was much les
numerous than ever before-a grea
many of them being in the army
When the rebellion was crushed, peac
declared, and the boys all returned
prices begun to go down, though nc
suddenly; they went down as the
went up-gradually. Wooden good
can now be bought at any of our store
for less money than at any time sine
1860. Why is it? Labor is hight
then then, and the wool that compost
it was bought at much higher prl(
than it will bring now. Why is it {
then? Merely because there is gil
ted market. Wooden goods are
drug. The stoutest fabrics are chea
er now than shoddy used to be-
When the cities are drained of the
goods and there is call for the "a
material, then wool will advanc
there is reason to believe. But ev
then, manufacturers are not oblig
to depend upon Vermont, nor Ne
England even. The great West
open to them, with a better commodi
and at a cheaper rate. This Ia
statement wool growers in Vcrmc
will probably dispute, but manuf;
turers say so.