APPENDIX. 309 



MORAL. 



All butter-makers invariably declare their own butter 

 is first-rate; but, to be plain, they do not speak the 

 truth. Making first-rate butter depends on very small 

 details ; it is surprising how small. Yet these details 

 make a great difference. Butter may be fairly good, a 

 long way from really bad butter, yet still be far from 

 first-rate. And the difference in price between such 

 butter and first-rate butter is very great. Butter is 

 wanted for the wealthiest consumers in the world, who 

 care much about quality, and very little about price. 



(1.) The first leading fact is, that the price to con- 

 sumers in London is hardly ever less than from Is. 6d. 

 to 2s. 6d. per Ib. ; butter bought under 2s. per Ib. from 

 respectable shops is very seldom good. This is the 

 principal fact to be borne in mind. It proves that a 

 splendid market is there, of which we do not get the 

 advantage. 



(2.) The other main fact is, that the supply of first- 

 rate butter falls very far short of the demand. The 

 difference is made up by secondary butter, washed and 

 made up as well as they can by retailers. Only this 

 Spring I found the family of a friend paying 2s. 4d. per 

 Ib. for all their butter ; another family, living in one of 

 the best parts of London, had given up eating butter, be- 

 cause their patience was exhausted by getting bad butter 

 at Is. lOd. per Ib., and they thought it extravagant to 

 pay higher. It is believed country towns in a great 

 part of England are even worse supplied. It is quite 

 clear, therefore, there is a demand, at good prices, for 

 all the first-rate butter that can be made. The evil is 



