( XXI ) 
Butter. — The year 1879 commenced with severe weather, and 
scarcely a week passed up to the end of March without falls of 
snow in some parts of the United Kingdom ; the summer was wet, 
and the harvest was bad ; all this told disastrously in the various 
departments of agriculture, and produced such variations in the 
prices of butter as have not been known for many years. The 
months of January, February, March, and April passed without 
quotations for Clonmel or Carlow butter, and this continued until 
about the third week in May, when a few small sales were made 
of fine Clonmels at 98s. to 100s. f.o.b. ; good useful brands were 
offered at shillings less. These prices continued until the middle 
of July, when quotations were lowered at the end to 80s. to 90s. ; 
then very little change took place until the third week in August, 
when they were offered for shipment, and sales made, at 80s. to 
84s. f.o.b. At these prices a few buyers were found, and shippers 
refused to sell to a further extent. A few sales were made earlj^ 
in September at 85s. to Ois. f.o.b. A sudden reaction then took 
place; in the second week 100s. to llOs. were the prices asked, a 
further advance of 10s. the next week, and at the close of the month 
the quoted rates for fine were 110s. to 124s. The first week in 
October, 112s. to 126s., varying according to freshness and repute 
of brand, and at the close of the month, 124s. to 136s. These prices 
nearly stopped the demand ; but shippers, believing fine butter 
would be scarce before the close of the season, were not anxious 
sellers. Throughout the month of November the demand was 
very limited, quotations nearly nominal at the same prices as in 
October — 124s. to 136s. f.o.b. In the first week in December, with 
a continuation of severe weather for three or four weeks, holders 
of the best brands advanced their asking prices 2s., say to 126s. 
to 138s., but buyers did not respond. Second and third weeks 
unchanged. 
Cork Butter. — In this market the severity of , the weather had 
its influence also upon the labour in the agricultural districts, and 
strikes in the mining and manufacturing districts left the labouring 
classes with less money to spend upon necessaries of life. The 
first week in January began with prices for firsts, 125s. to 183s. ; 
at the end of the month they were 112s. to 133s., and so continued 
to the first week in March ; the second week they were 2s. higher. 
These were the last-quoted prices for firsts for the season. In 
the beginning of January seconds were 112s. to 120s.; thirds, 78s. 
to 80s. ; seconds then, for the remainder of the month, varied from 
115s. to 125s.; thirds, 80s. to 83s. Seconds the first week in 
February were 110s. to 127s. ; at the end of the month, 110s. to 130s. 
