86 PRODUCTION 



been exported. 1 In this respect alone, Eastern Europe, including 

 also Hungary and Galicia, occupies a prominent position as fur- 

 nishing a surplus of animal foodstuffs. Eggs may be taken as 

 having at least the same food value as meat with bone, weight for 

 weight. It will be seen that the egg exports from Russia in 1912 

 were thus equivalent to at least 120,000 tons of meat, 2 or about 

 one-tenth of the total pre-war meat imports of the United King- 

 dom. The importance of this item should not be overlooked in 

 dealing with animal food supplies. The poultry industry may 

 develop in the future, possibly at the expense of cereal exports, but 

 for the present it is held in check by lack of technical knowledge 

 and of proper organisation. 3 



Russia is unable to supply its requirements in beef without 

 drawing upon Siberian sources. 4 In any case, the Russian cattle 

 trade lacks the organisation found in other countries having better 

 means of transport, with the result that the home market require- 

 ments are not always properly supplied. 5 The resulting fluctua- 

 tions in prices must have a very discouraging effect upon production. 



Sheep raising in Eastern Europe is centred in Southern and 

 South-Eastern Russia and in the mountainous country round the 

 Carpathians and the Balkans. Russia apparently has a large 

 number of animals enumerated as sheep, but the Russian unit of 

 sheep + goats is much inferior in meat-producing capacity to the 

 sheep unit in other countries. That these sheep are of low-grade 

 quality is borne out by the fact that much of the wool is very coarse, 

 and that, till recent!} 7 , the manufacture of tallow was an important 

 industry in Northern Caucasia. 6 



1 According to the report of the British Consul at Moscow for the year 

 1909 (p. 15) the number of geese and fowls exported from Russia in 1907 was 

 about 5 million. 



The exports of eggs have been as follows: 1910, 2,998 millions; 1911, 

 3682 millions ; 1912, 3,396 millions. 



2 Estimating, say, 12 eggs = 1 Ib The surplus from Austria-Hungary was 

 nearly as large. 



3 Report of British Consul at Moscow for 1912, p. 22. " It is the egg in- 

 dustry that is really the cause of the activity in farming. The industry would 

 be in a far better position were it not for the general ignorance of the principles 

 of poultry farming and for the absence of organisation." 



* See Report of British Consul at Omsk, Siberia, for 1913, in which the 

 following statement of meat exports (mainly to Russia) is given : 

 1909 = 1-82 million poods = ca. 30,000 tons. 

 1912 == 2-615 = ca. 42,000 



5 In 1910, for example, there was " a lack of organisation and union between 

 centres of cattle and meat production and the inner markets and centres of 

 consumption." Report, of American Consul-General at. Moscow in U.S. 

 Daily Commerce Reports, Oct. 14th, 1911, p. 233. 



See also remarks by British Consul at Moscow, in his report for the year 

 1910. " The cattle and meat trade seems to have shown want of organisa- 

 tion, and the abnormal conditions were evidenced by the import of Australian 

 mutton on the one hand, and on the other, by an increased export of Siberian 

 pork and Central Russian bacon." 



6 At Nakhitchevan, U.S. Daily Commerce Report, Sept. 11, 1913, p. 143R. 

 The decline in sheep is indicated by Russian tallow imports, which 





