The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-02-12
AGRICULTURAL.
American Butter Board,


During the past year American butter
seems to have been gaining favor in the Eng
lish market on account of its quality. On
the S1st of December my London correspon-
dent quotes American creamery butter at 1872
shillings sterling per cwt., while the best Irish
Is put at 100 shillings, aud the best Danish,
Kiel and Swedish at $50 shillings. At the
same date Dorset butter, which is the highest
priced butter selling in the London market,
was quoted at 100 shillings. And Dorset but
ter, 1t may be remarked, brings an extreme
price, not only on account of its fine quality,
but on account of Its being near by, and reach
Ing market freshly made from day to day. OF
course in comparing prices, due allowance
must be made for extra rates paid for butter
produced so near the market that it will
reach consumers fresh from the churn; for
such butter, il well made, will always COM
mand an extra price.
Until quite recently American butter has
been quoted In the London market all the
way farm 60 to 80 shillings per cwt. Indeed
prices were so low that expectation paid very
poorly, and shipments were confined for the
most part to inferior qualities and low grades
known in the trade as grease, and even OF
these sorts the exports were comparatively
light.
The introduction of our creamery system
has greatly raised the standard of American
butter, while the improved system of sending
to market in refrigerator vessels, enables the
dealer to get his goods to the consumer in
much better condition than heretofore, thus
lessening the risk of handling and holding
ont more inducement to export butter of the
best sorts. For the past year or two, oleo-
margarine or artificial butter has been steadily
gaining place in the English markets, and is
often taken in preference to inferior buffers.
1t begins to tell heavily on all classes of low
grade butter, and If it does not wholly sup
plant, it is likely to make inferior and badly
made butter unremunerative to the producer
and the dealer. With the means now at
hand for sending butter to England in refrig-
orators, there is no reason why our choice
creamery should not command price equal
to that paid for Swedish and Normandy in
the English markets. And this am of the
opinion will, in a short time, be reached.
For several years past the price for butter
has been gradually increasing in England
and the highest grades have now reached a
point that will enable exports to be made
from this country at fair compensation to
the producer. A good foreign market for
our surplus butter is an important element to
the trade, and it renders prices steady. With
the present outlook, the prospect is that there
will be good home and foreign demand for
choice grades of butter, while for the lower
grades the market never looked more unfav-
orable since oleemargarine enters into COM
petition with these sorts, and can be produc-
ed more cheaply, and will be preferred by
that class of consumers with whom low
price is necessity. Again, as oleomargarene
can be substituted for butter by bakers and
pastry cooks, the demand for inferior buffers
will be likely to be affected in this direction.
1t is plain then that our butter makers
must put forth all their efforts to produce
pyfra fiDa naode DC oil infariOr huf n M
promise to pay the cost of production.-E
chance,