MANUFACTURING AND THE HOME TRADE. 203 



aud Other such circumstances which compel the traders to assemble at a determined time 

 and place, whither merchants come together from every part with their goods. 



The most ancient and important Siberian fair is that of Irbit, founded in 1643, admin- 

 istratively forming part of the government of Perm, that is, of European Russia, but geog- 

 raphically an integral part of Siberian territory. Situated at the confluence of the Irbit and 

 the Nitsa, tributaries of the Tura, Irbit forms the half-way house for a number of routes. 

 The fair there is open from the 1st of February to the 1st of March, and for this month the 

 little town wakes up and welcomes 12,000 to 15,000 strangers, doing a business of 40,000,000 to 

 50,000,000 roubles each time. In 1868 various goods were brought to this town to the 

 amount of 37,311,000 roubles, of which 34,359,000 roubles worth were sold; in 1876, the fig- 

 ures were 49,029,000 and 45,987,000 roubles respectively; in 1891, 45,896,200 and 39,302,700 

 roubles. The decline in the turnover of the Irbit fair here perceptible is in direct depend- 

 ence upon the completion of the Ural and Samara-Zlatoust railways. The opening of the 

 Great Siberian Railway will undoubtedly still further diminish the importance of this fair. 

 The chief articles of trade there, after tea, are peltry, honey, wax, nuts, hardware and 

 cutlery, woollens and cottons. The wares for sale here are mostly of Russian origin, 

 although foreign productions from both Europe and Asia are not unknown. In 1891 

 Russian goods were imported to the amount of 39,274,000 roubles, including in this sum 

 6,062,000 roubles of Asiatic wares, of which 34,058,000 roubles worth were sold. The 

 corresponding figures for foreign productions were 6,622,000 roubles and 5,245,000 roubles 

 respectively. 



The chief article of commerce in the Irbit fair, tea, will be discussed further on. As 

 far as regards fur goods, it may be observed that already now with the approach of the 

 general railway system to the water systems of Siberia the most valuable goods of this kind 

 are forwarded direct to Moscow, without passing through Irbit. Thus, in January of the 

 current year, 1893, a party of sable of 1,700 skins was forwarded to Moscow and sold there 

 for 100,000 roubles. Judging by the course taken by fur goods for some years past, it may 

 be confidently expected that with the building of the western section of the Great Sibe- 

 rian Railway the whole of the fur goods from the basin of the Obi will be forwarded 

 direct to Moscow. In the current year there were 5,450,000 squirrel skins brought to the 

 fair, and 1,500,000 hare skins. The sale of sable was 3,600 skins at 60 to 75 roubles apiece. 

 Light sable was offered to the number of 30,000 skins. There was further a large show of 

 arctic fox, 25,000 skins, krestovatik, nekliui, and other furs. A considerable portion 

 of the furs at the Irbit fair is acquired for foreign export, namely, all the ermine, k o 1 o n o k s, 

 krestovatiks, bears, marmot, hares, squirrel tails, black and striped cat for Leipzig, sable for 

 Leipzig, Paris and London, squiiTel, wolf and fox, for Leipzig. 



Combining the above data with the returns on the seal trade, it may be seen that 

 the trade in Russian furs, and particularly in the more valuable kinds, is principally concen- 

 trated in London and Leipzig. Both these markets receive from Russia the goods in the raw state 

 and often return them finished, although they most frequently are disposed of in other countries. 



Another fair in the same government of Perm, but on Siberian territory, is Krestovsko 

 Ivanovskaya. By the business done there it occupies the next place to that of Irbit. It opens 



