( xxri ) 
and Cork firsts at 134s. to 138i>'. In Februarj', the quotations differed 
but little from those of last month. The large quantities of inferior 
foreign operated against inferior Irish. In March, the market 
showed a slight improvement for finest qualities. Scarcely any 
Irish butter of fine quality was left unsold in April; holders of 
other kinds were anxious to clear out. The Cork butter market 
opened with new brands on the 22nd with quotations at— firsts, 
loOs. ; seconds, 130s.; thirds, 99s. ; and fourths, 60s. In June, the 
sales of Irisli butter were very few. In July, a little more business 
WHS transacted than in the previous month. Early in September, 
the transactions were few, the month, however, closed with more 
doing at higher rates. In November, the demand for most de- 
scriptions was inactive. In the last month of the year the opera- 
tions in the Irish butter market were few, but the chief part of the 
little done was in sales of third and fourth Corks. These in the 
early part of the month were taken pretty freely at 98s. to 99s. for 
fresh parcels of thirds and fourths at 88s. to 90s. ; a few firsts 
changed hands at 130s. to 131s. 
" Cork Butter MarkI':t. — During the early months of the year 
there is little to be said of the operations in this market ; the supply 
is always then limited, but the demand equally so, the dealers 
having stocked themselves before Christmas, when butter of fine 
quality is procurable. The real work of the season commences in 
April or May, when the market re-opens, after being generally 
closed for two or three weeks. In 1872 the new season commenced 
on May 1, when there was a fair supply of new grass butter, which 
sold at 140s. for first quality, 130s. for second, and 100s. for third. 
These very high prices of course do not hold long, and by May 9, 
under the influence of fine weather and the expectation of a plenty 
which is always anticipated at that season, the lowest point of the 
year was almost touched, firsts being then 112s. and seconds 101s., 
after which they advanced again ; so that during the month of 
June these qualities ranged several shillings higher, and were at 
one period as high as 115s. and 109s. The excess of rain during 
the summer banished all fear of a short supply, and this feeling, 
coupled with an easier demand from England, kept prices very 
steady and brought them back again ; so that few j'ears have passed 
which show less variation, seconds being in December the same as 
they were in September, the price having scarcely varied since 
then. Though the supplies were very heavy during the autumn, 
and considerably larger than at the corresponding period of the 
previous year, yet, on the whole, the receipts of butter to the 
market for the eleven months ending November 30 show a trifling 
falling oif, the numbers for the first eleven mouths of 1871 being 
