THE CONDITIONS OF RUSSIAN AGRICULTURE 185 



be expected, this anxiety on the part of dealers to purchase the 

 peasants' produce is arousing in them rather a pronounced 

 business propensity. Between half-past nine and ten o'clock 

 all the little shops are closed and trade stops while a service 

 is held in the church : afterwards the market proceeds until 

 two p.m., when trade ceases for the day — one might almost say 

 for the week. Rapidly the people leave the town, taking with 

 them various articles purchased at the shops and salt from 

 the barges on the river. Once more Rshef becomes a quiet 

 place : at night there is no light in the town and no sound to be 

 heard except from the watchman who walks about the dark 

 streets telling of his approach by swinging a noisy rattle and 

 showing his whereabouts by a lantern. 



There are flax dealers from all over Europe congregated in 

 Rshef. At one small house there are six men of different 

 nationality living together; they converse in German and each 

 man goes his own way, buying according to the instructions he 

 receives by telegram. Nearly all day long and part of the night 

 up to two o'clock telegrams arrive at that humble dwelling. 

 The slamming of doors, the heavy tread of messengers up and 

 down stairs and the word " telegram " all form part of the daily 

 existence of these buyers in Rshef. 



Much if not all of the peasant produce, be it grain or fibre, 

 is very imperfectly cleaned. Their implements are primitive and 

 they use them carelessly. But a change is coming; it is already 

 noticeable in many places how mechanical devices are finding 

 favour and that they will bring an improved condition. The Mayor 

 of Rshef has been inquiring for suitable machines of simple con- 

 struction for cleaning flax, machines such as the peasants could 

 purchase and take to their homes. He knows what is required 

 and is seeking where he can procure machines suited to the 

 purpose. The replies to his inquiries are really significant of 

 the spirit in which trade is carried on with Russia. Those 

 received from British firms read, " We do not make such 

 machines " ; the replies from German firms read, " We will make 

 the machines you require." With this difference of attitude in 

 mind, it is not difficult to understand why British goods are 

 being steadily ousted from the Russian market. It avails little 

 to gaze in wonderment at our ever-decreasing imports into 

 Russia when the fault lies with us for not studying the con- 

 ditions of Russian trade. 



