Fresh Markets.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 3, 3 July 1895, Page 2

Fresh Markets.

It appears to be a popular belief amongst colonial shippers that nearly all their butter is consumed in London, and consequently tbat the large provincial towns of the United Kingdom are virtually new markets ready to absorb an unlimited quantity of ttieir dairy produce as soon as it can bo sent there direct. This is a great delusion, for it is very doubtful if more than one-third of the colonial import is consumed in London, tho bulk of it being sold for provincial consumption London has hitherto been the sole distributing centre, and probably will remain so for some time to come. Direct shipments by steamer to such ports as Manchester, Biistol and Glasgow, as advocated by some of the wholesale buyera residing at these centres, would probably prove to be an extremely hazardous experiment for shippers unless such parcels were sold before arrival, and it would, therefore, be well to exercise caution in making such trial shipments. It is most desirable to induce all provincial centres to increase their consumption of colonial but'er, but this can efficiently be done by continuing to use London as the chief distributing centre. Railway and shipping .facili ties are much greater from London than fiom any other place, and a much larger quantity of butter than now arrives could easily be distributed from London without any resultant depreciation of price. Before direct shipments are sent to any provincial centre the exact colour, flavour, salti nes?, £c:, -of--!_a- Butter consumed In that district must be ascertained and tho consignment prepared accordingly, or disaster will follow. Colonial butter is now so well known in all the principal towns of the United Kingdom that there is scarcely a new centre to bo tapped, except by selling at such low prices as to displace other descriptions, and this sacrifice producers need not yet undergo as the existing markets are capable of ab sorbing at fnir prices all the butter the colonies are likely to send for some time to come. — Weddel and j i.'o.'s report.