C70. | 
BisHtTon, in his furvey of Shropfhire, exprefsly 
treats it as an article of /uxury. 
In whatever light the Society fhall pleafe to con- 
fider this commodity, it feems to have but little in- 
fluence on the prices of various other valuable pro- 
duétions of grafs land. There feems to be but little 
conneétion between the price of butter and the prices 
of wool and lamb, which are feldom produced, in 
confiderable quantities, on land fit for the dairy; 
nor is the demand influenced by fimilar caufes. The 
price of hay is determined more by the length and 
feverity of the winter, than by the price of butter. 
Hay muft be had for the fupport of valuable ani- 
mals; butter may be difpenfed with, or the quantity 
leffened. Abundant rains in harveft, which fpoil the 
hay, or deftroy it by flooding the low lands, will 
make this article fcarce and dear: the fame caufe, by 
producing a great quantity of grafs, may make butter 
cheap. Even the prices of other produéts of the 
dairy do not neceffarily feem to be governed by the 
price of butter; for, in fpeculating on the different 
profits of thofe produéts, the lefs milk is converted 
into butter, by which that article may become dear, 
the more will remain for cheefe, calves, and to con- 
fume in its original, and perhaps moft wholfome, 
{tate; by which thofe articles may feverally become 
cheap. The true value, or fair price of butter is 
liable to be warped and affeéted in a variety of ways. 
It is affected by different feafons of the year, by the 
refort . 
