( XVllI ) 
The following remarks relating to Irish and Foreign Butter and 
to Cheese are extracted from ' The Grocer ' : — 
Irish Butter. — The transactions in January were small, and 
butter was offered for resale below the prices current in the Irish 
markets ; the board prices in the Cork market at the end of this 
month were 154s. for firsts and seconds, whilst in the London 
markets the nearly nominal quotations varied according to fresh- 
ness from 142s. to 156s. for firsts. The transactions in February 
were very limited ; the range in prices was great, owing to a 
portion of the stock consisting of stale parcels offered for resale. 
There was scarcely enough doing in sales of Irish butter in March 
to establish market values. In the first week of April the stock of 
Irish butter at the public wharves amounted only to 75 firkins ; 
transactions were very few this month, and chiefly of low quality. 
The month of April commenced with a stock of only 28 firkins of 
Irish lying at the public wharves, and very little over 1000 pack- 
ages of foreign ; but, with increased supplies of the latter coming 
forward, prices gave way rapidly ; the transactions were small. 
In June the effects of the shortness of the grass-crop began to tell 
upon the market, and led to a little more disposition on the part of 
the trade to buy. In July the transactions — with the exception of 
a few ^rnall sales of Corks — were very limited. The great heat 
of the weather, and the high prices asked, seemed combined to 
cause tlie trade to be afraid to hold quantity. In the early part of 
August there was a little more doing in sales of Irish butter, but 
towards the close of the month, the trade, though lightly stocked, 
seemed afraid to follow the advanced rates asked. 
The early part of the month of September was cooler and 
showery, greatly improving the appearance of the pasture-lands ; 
the last two weeks fine and much warmer, but the transactions for 
Irish butter were so few that quotations were governed more by 
the prices paying in Ireland than b}' the amount of business doing 
in the London market. The trade was out of stock, but refused 
to buy at the rates asked : the northern markets, however, took 
it freely. In October the trade still thought the asking rates too 
high, and have operated so sparingly that quotations continued 
nearly nominal, shippers in the mean time found willing buyers in 
the northern towns. The transactions in November were very 
limited, so much so, that quotations were nearly nominal. In De- 
cember the transactions were also very limited, and confined chiefly 
to the sales of third and fourth Corks. 
Foreign Buttkr.- — In Januaiy supplies were considerably above 
average cues; but with comparative light stocks lying in the 
