COLONIAL BUTTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11873, 27 January 1902, Page 6

COLONIAL BUTTER.

| [from our own correspondent.] j* London, December 20. Messrs. Weddel inform me that the Australian aud New Zealand butter market has not , recovered thoroughly from the disorganised condition of last week. In the earlv part of this week prices receded another 2s per cwt., but the tone of the market has daily improved, and at the end of the week it is firm with a tendency to higher values. New Zealand cheese, ex' Gothic, has been selling at 47s to 48s for choicest, down to 44s for j second grade ; the bulk of choicest Canadian cheese is quoted at 495, but there are a few lots of both white and coloured that are realising 50s. From Messrs. Mathie and MoWilliam, of Glasgow, I hear that colonial butter in the north is meeting with only a moderate iuquiry, though the qualities so far seem to have been quite .up to the standard of former seasons. Present values are quite 6s to 7s per cwt lower than they were last year at this time, and even with the knowledge of a shortage in the make of Australian butter buyers generally are indifferent and prefer playing the waiting game in anticipation of lower prices. A letter lias been addressed to Mr. Reeves, in common with the Australian AgentsGeneral, by Mr. C. J. Iligginson, secretary of the Home and Foreign. Produce Exchange. The committee of that Exchange, Mr. Higginson says, have had their attention drawn to the fact that there is a tendency, when describing the qualities of Australian and New Zealand butter to make a distinction between "choicest" and "finest." The terms recognised by the Exchange, when issuing market reports, Mr. Higginson says, are " finest," " fine," " good," and " inferior." The committee, being anxious to discourage extravagance in describing qualities, as it is a practice which leads to misunderstanding and dispute, point out that there can be no higher grade than " finest." Shippers and importers are, ' therefore, ; wanted to obtain uniformity and correctness of description. - : :.. : ■. Vt']'' >■ , -v r