Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-09-05
coon BUTTER vV.s.vTBD.

We fear that too many country house.
wives cOnfine their newspaper reading TO
"story papers," and too many dairymen
also neglect the market reports, which de-
scribe the course of their own trade. This
conjecture would at least partly explain the
fact that day after day, and almost year af-
Ter year, our reporters have been fruilless-
ly offering butter makers such hints as
these, reproduced from our daily market
reports: "The arrivals are still mainly
made up of other than desirable stock.
There is prompt sale for the best lines"
"Western grades, ifchoice, bring fair prices,
but other kinds accumulate, and have 10
he sold at irregular prices" "There is
very little, if any, really choice butter ar
irving" "Choice Orange county pals are
scarce, as Tie bulk Of the arrivals are in
ferior in quality" "Finc Western is in
request" "Choice pals are eagerly sought
AFTER" 1.-THE supply Of choice State butter
is very limited, and with good inquiry
prices are firmly held" "Prime State and
Welsh butter is scarce aud wanted" AS
we turn back our files we find that these
quotations tell the story of the seasons.
They moreover represent the tone of recent
past seasons. There has been for the last
three years an inadequate supply of choice
butter in this market TO meet the demand
We export little or none of that descrip-
ton, and we do not have enough for home
consumption. 1t consequently is always n
quick sale, at good, If not high prices. Why
then, the rest rced supply?
If butter was a natural product, like
peaches or apples, it could easily be under
stood that the vicisstudes of the seasons
might furnish the answer. But it is man
ulacture, the raw material of which is less
certain to determine the quality of the out
turn than is the case with probably the
majority of industries. Good pasture, cows
and milk are Of course not unimportant,
but the skill of the maker is the main ele-
ment of success. Moreover the skill re-
quired is not difficult of attainment. Clean
illness, and attention to apparently minor
details, are the principal conditions. Thrift
ty housewives generally make good, slat-
terms invariably poor, article. We should
be sorry to believe, however, that the quail
ity of the butter which comes to this mar
tween these classes of farmers wives. If
it we so, the grievance of butter consum-
ers would be uncomfortable alongside of
that endured by the poor farmers them
selves, thus wretchedly mated.
AS butter, following the course which
cheese has lately taken, becomes more and
more factory product, the commercial
harn al nSf ipl-
attract the attention of those who engage
in the industry. The amount of capital
and labor required to produce choice ar
ticle worth in this market at latest quota
tions thirty-one TO thirty two cents pound
is almost inappreciably greater than that
which must be employed in turniLg out a
'fair to good" quality, slower of sale at
from twenty-five to twenty-seven cents.
Butter-makers will therefore find their
profit in responding to the requirements of
the market, and under such circumstances
it will be strange if we are unable to note
an improvement in the quality of table,
kinds, at least. We have found encour-
agement for this view, since the above was
written, in the following remarks of the
Chicago Tribune:
comparatively new source of wealth
to the Northwest, and of exchange to pay
Eastern bills, is the trade IN butter. Till
within the last few years the quality of a
large majority of the article that reached
the city from the surrounding country was
abominable-unfit for marketing here or
elsewhere. Many OF our older citizens used
to import their butter from sections of Kew
York, or some other Eastern State from
which they came, in order 10 get an article
fit 10 place upon their tables. The salute
of some jolly general officer TO the butter
| plate at Memphis, COR the reason that it
'outrdnked him. might, only few years
since, have been appropriately made to
most of tho butter that was found in this
market. We are glad to report this is
| changed. Our farmers have found that 1t
will pay to make a first-class article of but
ter, and they make it. There is a demand
for that for city consumption and for ship
mont. Inferior and stale parcels are re-
| jected."--N Y. Journal Of Commerce.
| --
What is that which no one wishes to
1