254 Artificial 1 nsi ininatloii 



of Agriculture, aud later on, at the subsequent AU-Russian conferences 

 on practical horse-breeding, the question of introducing the method of 

 artificial insemination was considered to be of immediate imjjortance. 

 However, lack of instruments, which were lost during the revolution, 

 and the general economic and political -situation prevented work being 

 commenced at once. The Collegium of the P. C. A. decided to open a 

 "Central Experimental Station for investigating the problem of raising 

 domestic animals," and one of its fundamental practical aims was the 

 organization of the woik of artificial insemination. Ju 1921 the station 

 received a great number of enquiries and re(]uests for instruments for 

 artificial insemination of horses from the Don Province, Kuban Province, 

 Turkestan, governments of Voionezh, Smolensk, and other places. In 

 some places, like the Don Province, or government of Voronezh, it was 

 proj)Osed to place the work of artificial insemination on a broad basis. 

 In the Don Province a special laboratory has been opened ; in the govern- 

 ment of Voronezh there are equipped stations, but the number of in- 

 .struments and suitable horses is insufficient. Owing to the accumulation 

 of imavoidable and unfavourable circumstances, the work of artificial 

 insemination of horses could not be commenced in the spring of this 

 year (1922), mainly in consequence of the impossibility of obtaining in 

 ])roper time instruments ordered abroad. By spring 1923 the training 

 of a staff of specialist-technicians should be completed and a number of 

 stations opened, in the first place, for the artificial insemination of horses. 

 With the practical devel()])ment of this method are clo.sely ccmnected 

 also its economic possibilities. The price of good progenitors should rise 

 and cattle and stud-farming should attract the attention of the popula- 

 tion and of ca])italists who should find here a good investment. While 

 formerly horse-breeding, for example, was in Russia by no means a 

 ])rofitable business, but rather a necessity or a hobby, at the ])reseut 

 time, when a stallion during the pairing season can bring a return several 

 times greater than its cost and leave the owner a profit of some hundreds, 

 and sometimes thousands, of gold roubles, the advantage of breeding 

 a good stock is obvious'. In such circumstances there is a possibility 

 of attracting to the work of mass-breeding and improving the stocks of 

 domestic animals private enterprise, granting it one or another privilege 

 and guarantee eliminating great risks. It would be possible to try to 



' Kxample: expenses in connection witli equipment of station for artitioial insemination 

 200 gold roubles, cost of two .stallions, 1000 g.r., upkeep of horses for four uiontlis, iOO g.r., 

 wages to groom for four months, 200 g.r., stabling, 100 g.r., total, 1700 g.r. 



Receipts: artificial insemination of 600 mares at 5 g.r. per mare; total, 3000 g.r. 



