200 SIBERIA 



are no fewer than eight Danish firms established, 

 and many Russian, English, and German firms 

 have likewise joined in the enterprise. There 

 are two Danish houses alone in the country 

 which are said to be exporting at the rate of 

 10,000,000 lbs. of butter a year. 



It was not without a good deal of difficulty 

 from local officials that " foreigners " were able 

 to play their part in developing even so desirable 

 an industry as this in a country such as Russia, 

 however favourably disposed the higher officials 

 might be to the scheme ; and even the higher 

 officials have sought to extend the business 

 along the lines of co-operation among the 

 Russian peasantry themselves rather than in 

 the direction of encouraging outsiders to set up 

 still more of their proprietary establishments. 

 To this end a number of co-operative dairy 

 associations have been formed, the Imperial 

 Government granting to them loans not exceed- 

 ing £320, at 4 per cent., repayable within five 

 years, for the purposes either of a co-operative 

 dairy or of refrigerating stores. The money 

 is generally advanced on the security of the 

 live-stock belonging to the peasants, and the 

 profits are divided among them according 

 to the amount of milk they have supplied. 

 In other cases dairies are operated by the 



