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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



THE BUTTER TRADE 



Sir,— I bave to thank you for the aid you have given me, 

 in my efforts to call the attention of the farmers of Ireland to 

 the butter question ; and I avail myself of your space to bring 

 before the notice of the farmers of Ireland those facts which 

 demand some consideration at their hands. 



The earlier tables supplied by Mr. Donnelly do not classify 

 our stock in the manner which is done by those of later date ; 

 consequently, any comparison must, as far as actual data are 

 concerned, be confined to those of later date. The first return 

 of milch cows was made in 1854, when the total number was 

 1,517,682. Judgiug from these returns, I should say that on 

 an average one calf is reared for every three milch cows in 

 Ireland ; and while from the improvement in our breed of 

 stock the young animals of the Shorthorn breed are more 

 valuable than others, it may be — I do not say that it is — but 

 it may be that this improvement is obtained at a sacrifice in 

 the quantity of butter. 



The statistical information as to our export of butter is not 

 as complete as it ought to be, and some of our M.P.'s con- 

 nected with agricultural districts would render a great service 

 to those interested in the subject by procuring returns of the 

 entire shipments of butter for the past five years, and also 

 annual returns for the future. The principal markets are 

 London and Liverpool ; and as over nine-tenths of our butter 

 goes to these markets, it may peihaps suffice to refer to the 

 arrivals at these ports, to illustrate the actual position of the 

 staple agricultural traffic of Ireland. 



I find that the number of milch cows, aud the arrivals of 

 butter, during the past three years, is as follows : — 

 No. of Arrivals of 



Milch Cows. Increase. Butter in London Increase, 

 and Liverpool. 

 1857.... 1,605,350 882,561 flrk'ns. 



1858..., 1,640,000 84,650 932,407 » 49,846 



1859.... 1,690,389 50,389 938,156 ., 3,649 



If it be the case that our population has not been increasing, 

 we may suppose that the quantity of milk aud butter consumed 

 at home has been about the same in each of the three years. 

 We should naturally look for an increase in our exports, which 

 would correspond with the increase in our milch stock, and as 

 the yield of butter is about three firkins for each cow, we 

 would have looked for an increase of 1858 over 1857, of 

 103,950 firkins, instead of 49,846 ; and in 1859 over 1858, of 

 151,167, whereas the increase was only 3,649 firkins. The 

 value of the firkin of butter is about £3, and the loss of 1859 

 from non-production, or rather non-exports, would be nearly 

 equal to half a million sterling. 



The deficiency in the yield of butter continues through this 

 year, and taking the Liverpool returns from the Ist of April, 

 and the London returns from the Ist of May, to last Saturday, 

 they afford the following results : — 



1858. 1859. 1860. 



457,351 firkins. 490,819 firkins. 395,243 firkins. 



Here we see a deficiency or 1860 under 1859 of nearly 

 100,000 firkins, and it surely becomes a subject worthy of 

 consideration to ascertain from what cause this deficiency 

 arises. 



Since I called the attention of the farmers at Thomastown 

 to this subject I have received Mr. Donnelly's returns, and I 

 find from it that one of the effects of the want of food during 

 last winter was to reduce the number of our milch cows, and 

 that they are now less than they were last year by 67,779, but 

 they are still in excess of those of 1857 by 17,260. 



The subject appears to me to be fraught with much import- 

 ance, not alone to the farmers of Ireland, but also to the na- 

 tional interests of the country, as it is impossible to diminish 

 the receipts of one branch of native manufacture to the extent 

 of half a million per annum without other classes besides far- 

 mers feeling the effect. 



Three causes have been suggested for the decrease to which 

 I have sUuded, and I shall merely state them. 

 1st. — It is said that the short-horned breed, which are on the 

 increase in Ireland, are not so beneficial for dairy purposes 

 as for feeding. 

 2nd,— It is said that constant grazing of dairy-land is exhaust- 

 ing the soil of the mineral ingredients taken off in the off- 

 spring and product of the eow, and hence the deficiency. 



Srdly. — It is asserted that the milch cows are insufficiently 

 fed, either with home-grown roots or foreign products, sncb 

 as oil-cake and bruised corn, and that it is to this cause we 

 must trace the deficit. 



I shall offer no opinion at present on the relation which 

 those causes may have to the effect produced ; but I may call 

 attention to the fact, that though the stock to be supported 

 had increased from 1856 to 1859, the quantity of green crops 

 had lessened ; thus there were more mouths to fill, and less 

 food to supply them with. 



I fear I have trespassed on your columns at too great length, 

 and I shall conclude by suggesting to our leading societies, 

 the Royal Dublin Society and the Royal Agricultural Society, 

 the importance of having some viva voce discussion on this 

 subject, in order to elicit the views of practical farmers and 

 experienced agriculturists on this important subject. 



Yours, &c., Joseph Fisher. 



Waterford, Sept 25, 1860. —Irish Farmers' Gazette. 



WELSH BUTTER AND LONDON TASTE. 



At the dinner of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, 

 Mr. Bagnall said, " When I accepted the invitation to come 

 down here to act as judge of the dairy produce, I made it a 

 sort of condition that I was to be excused the necessity of 

 making a speech ; but as I nm on my legs, I will endeavour 

 to make a few remarks. You will remember that at the 

 last meeting 1 had occasion to state that T was disappointed 

 with the quality of the butter then exhibited. This was 

 fully accounted for by the peculiar character of the season, 

 for as we cannot expect a man to make bricks without 

 straw, we cannot expect farmers to make butter without 

 grass and water. Last year the season was attended by a 

 remarkable drought. This year it gives me very peculiar 

 pleasure to state that I have been pleased with the butters 

 which have been exhibited to-day. I notice a very decided 

 improvement in the quality. I always believed that the 

 Pembrokeshire butter was over-salted, and that I think has 

 been entirely removed, I am glad to hear, from informa- 

 tion which 1 have had from merchants in this town, that, upon 

 the whole, the Pembrokeshire butters of the farmers are 

 much improved. You may have noticed a controversy in 

 the London papers with regard to the exorbitant prices of 

 butter, but I do not think such complaints have been well 

 founded. In these days of free trade, and in a place like 

 London, with its severe competition, I think it impossible 

 for any trader to obtain exorbitant prices. I remember two 

 years ago a gentleman connected with a firm in this town — 

 not one of the oldest firms — mentioned that he could 

 always pass off his butter to the London market, and that 

 he had a vent there for all his butter. I was surprised at 

 this, and as J failed in my previous efforts to open a market 

 in London for Carmarthen butter, made a purpose journey 

 to London, and attended Leadenhall, Newgate, Hungerford, 

 and other markets, I also called upon a large firm at the 

 bottom of Ludgate Hill; 1 saw the principal, and I handed 

 him my card, and introduced my business to sell Welsh but- 

 ter — Carmarthen butter. He turned round, and said, ' Your 

 butter will not suitthe London market.' I asked ' Why ?' and 

 he replied, ' They are too good for our market.' As we 

 are not often complimented for having an article too 

 good, I thought he was ' chaffing' me, and I began to think 

 that as 1 was fresh up from the country, perhaps he might 

 have seen something green in my eye, and although I could 

 stand a little chaff, I did not like practical jokes. ' I am 

 not joking,' he said : ' I repeat that your butter is too good,' 

 The Londoners, or Cockneys, have a peculiar taste for but- 

 ter : they don't like a wholesome honest butter, but some- 

 thing that will cut like clay — something that will spread 

 stiffly over bread, without permeating either into bread or 

 paste, and therefore butters are prepared in a peculiar man- 

 ner for the London markets. They adulterate it with 

 oleaginous and farinaceous substances, and make it thick 

 and hard : it is thus a very inferior butter, for while it sells 

 for 84s. in the market, Pembrokeshire butter will realize 

 from 100s. to I05s, We can, therefore, go on improving 

 without fearing any competition from Dorset, Carlow, or 

 Cork, These three western counties of Wales make A3 

 good butter a> my couutiea in the world. 



