C XX ) 
sent in casks. In 1775 it had increased to 221,298 packages. It 
did not reacli 300,000 till tlie year 1829, when the nnmber received 
was 306,670, the other 100,000 being arrived at in 1856, when the 
supply had increased to 400,509 firkins — the make of kegs having 
been almost discontinued since 1853. The Cork butter market is 
held daily, with the exception of about fifteen days' interval in 
March or April between the old and the new seasons, and a few 
holidays. There are, therefore, about 290 markets held in the year. 
The average supply is now 1400 firkins per day, or 400,000 firkins 
annually, the exporting of which is divided among about forty mer- 
chants, one eminent firm — that of Messrs. C. and J. O'SuUivan — 
shipping about one-eighth of the whole quantity. Within the last 
dozen years the exports to the colonies, which used to be large, 
have fallen off, owing to various causes, principally the increase of 
their own produce. The foreign trade is now small, the great bulk 
of the supply of Cork butter coming to the English markets. As 
the prices for those twelve years have been influenced only by the 
home demand, we give the highest and lowest prices for each of 
those years for first quality Corks, which may be taken as the 
standard of value of the finest Irish butter : — 
Seasoa of 
Lowest Price. 
Highest Price. 
Advance. 
1857-8 .. 
June 12 .. .. 
95s. 
March 2 .. .. 
726s. 
3 18. 
1858-9 .. 
June 7 .... 
96 
February 4 
130 
34 
1859-60.. 
Julys .. .. 
99 
February 18 .. 
130 
31 
1860-1 .. 
August 30 .. .. 
103 
November 26 .. 
117 
14 
1861-2 .. 
May 30 .. .. 
94 
January 27 
116 
22 
1862-3 .. 
June 24 .. .. 
91 
March 7 .... 
120 
29 
1863-4 •• 
June II .. .. 
84 
i January 6 .. .. 
117 
33 
1864-5 .. 
June 2 .... 
89 
December 19 .. 
126 
37 
1865-6 .. 
May 31 .. .. 
94 
February 19 .. 
136 
42 
1866-7 •• 
May 30 .. .. 
lOI 
January 3 
123 
22 
1867-8 .. 
May 20 .. .. 
96 
March 31 .. .. 
127 
3f 
The lowest price this season -was also on May 20, 964. 
Year 1868.— Cheese. 
" The make of which must have been lessened by the same 
cause that lessened the make of butter — the long-continued 
drought — has varied less in price than almost any article in the 
provision market ; and if the reports of the small stocks now held 
by the makers and the factors be correct, and we have no reason to 
doubt it, there seems a reasonable prospect of choice goods going 
shillings dearer before the close of the present season. In referring 
to the range of prices for the past year (1868), as our space will not 
allow us to quote all kinds, we have taken Cheshire cheese as the 
representative of English, and American of the foreign ; in giving 
these quotations they are the prices of the best qualities. Cheshire 
