56 SIBERIA 



■While undergoing the prescribed course of training 

 at the dairy-school farms, the peasants are instructed 

 how to feed cattle scientifically on preserved fodder, 

 a most important matter during the long Siberian 

 winters. That the instruction thus imparted to them 

 is of very high value is proved by the fact that 

 during the last winter the best stall-fed Siberian 

 butter was sold to the British public at the same 

 price as the best Colonial, and was declared by 

 experts to be scarcely inferior to it in quality. 

 German experts— usually from the Baltic provinces— 

 and skilled Danish butter-makers — every one of 

 whom is required to be the holder of a Government 

 diploma before he can qualify as a teacher — supple- 

 ment the training received by the peasants at the 

 schools by visiting the several dairies, giving prac- 

 tical demonstrations in butter-making and pointing 

 out any errors that may come under their notice. 

 Each of these instructors has ten creameries under 

 his immediate supervision. The organised groups 

 of peasants — " artels "—are encouraged in every way 

 by the Government to form co-operative dairies on 

 the system which has placed Denmark in the front 

 rank of butter-producing countries, a position which 

 she has held for the last twenty years. In point 

 of quality alone Siberian butter has improved enor- 

 mously during the last three years, so much so, 

 indeed, that, in winter stall-fed butters, the best 

 dairies can easily compete with those of our Colonies, 

 while in a few more years they will run Danish 

 very close all the year round. The uninterrupted 

 production of butter, winter and summer, moreover, 

 will give Siberia a decided advantage over our 

 Colonies and Ireland, which can only supply butter 

 during seven months of the year. The quantities 

 supplied have, already, reduced the price of butter 

 to the British public by quite 3d. per lb. since the 



