THE DAIRY INDUSTRY 69 



ness, showing much of the bony part. The supply 

 of butter naturally depends on the quantity of milk 

 that is available, which, in its turn, depends on the 

 number of cows and, to some extent also, on the 

 quality of the harvest. If the harvest is a poor 

 one fodder may be scarce and expensive, in which 

 case it may not pay the peasant to keep his cows. 

 The price of a cow varies from £2 to £3 in the 

 beginning and from £3 to £4 at the end of the winter 

 months. At these prices the animals are bought by 

 butchers, slaughtered, and the meat forwarded to 

 Russian towns. It is very lean and poor in quality 

 and is sold very cheaply. 



The development of the dairy industry has, as 

 might be expected, resulted in a considerable 

 increase in the number of cows. Thus, notwith- 

 standing the recent famine, which lasted three years 

 (1900 to 1902), the number of milch cows in 

 Siberia was doubled. It can easily be conjectured 

 how great the increase would be after a few years 

 of rich harvests. The industry is, therefore, obviously 

 bound to grow very rapidly, the more so as it is 

 the only one which permanently benefits the peasant, 

 for the grain harvest cannot always find a profit- 

 able market. The natural conditions of the country, 

 moreover, are precisely the ones requisite to con- 

 stitute Siberia the best country in the world for 

 the production of the highest quality of butter. 

 The soil is rich, black and loamy, and the climatic 

 conditions such as to combine with the soil in the 

 production of a very rich, succulent grass. The 

 cattle eat this and drink little, so that the milk 

 contains an exceptionally high percentage of fat. 

 Cattle diseases are practically unknown, owing, 

 probably, to the clear, dry air and the purifying 

 cold of the winter. The average age attained by 

 a cow in Denmark is from seven to eight years ; 



