CORK. The county and city of Cork are both worthy of attention, in respect to natural products and commercial pursuits. The prin cipal copper-mines in Ireland are situated at Allahies in this county. They were first worked in 1814. The ore contains from 55 to 65 per cent. of copper. In the same neigh bourhood the ashes of a bog impregnated with copper yielded a considerable return until burned out. A deposit of manganese is worked with good profit on the same coast. Veins of sulphate of barytes occur in the neighbourhood of Bantry, and specimens of asbestos have been procured at Beerbaven. The iron-ore is abundant, and when timber was plentiful, many iron-works were carried on. There is good anthracite coal in the Blackwater district; but it is so difficult of access, that it has not yet been made available for the smelting of iron. The principal trade of the county is the export of agricultural produce, such n grain and butter. The linen and wooller manufactures at one time flourished in severs: towns of this county ; but trade in these branches has for many years back been Ian. guishing.
In the city of Cork, the manufactures are of little importance compared wiih the trade and commerce. There are tanneries, iron. foundries, glass-houses, distilleries, and brew eries. The export trade consists principally of grain, butter, and other provisions, and cattle; the import trade of timber and the various articles required for the use of the city and the surrounding neighbourhood. Steamers ply daily between Cork and the harbour at Cove ; and large steamers trade regularly with Dublin, Belfast, Liverpool, Bristol, and Glas gow.
The principal harbour of Cork is at Cove, about 9 miles below the city, but lighters of 30 tons' burthen come up to Patrick's Bridge, on the north branch of the river, where there is a fine line of quays. Merchant-vessels un load into the lighters at Passage, about 6 miles down the river. The harbour at Cove is 3 miles long and 2 miles wide, completely shel tered and protected by forts on various points. The entrance is 2 miles long and 1 mile wide. 600 merchant-ships have been at anchor in it at once, and 400 have left it under convoy in one day. The colonial trade is chiefly with Canada; the foreign with Portugal, the Baltic, and the Mediterranean.
The butter trade of Cork is very extensive, and is conducted on a remarkable system. There is a committee of members to superin tend all the dealings between buyers and sellers. All the butter brought to market is inspected and branded by orders of the com mittee, and is divided into four classes, ac cording to its quality. A sub-eommittee each morning fixes the price at which each kind of butter shall be sold on that day ; the four kinds differ in value about 5s. per cwt. from each other. The number of firkins branded in certain years was as follow :— The butter buyers are in the habit of advancing money before-hand to the dairy farmers; so that sometimes a whole season's produce is thus paid for before any of the butter is made.