EXPEDITION TO THE ALTAI 143 



immediately. Sometimes the Barnaoul merchants, 

 acting for British firms, store the butter in ice-cellars, 

 greatly to the detriment of the quality, as the tem- 

 perature of the cellars is very irregular. In addition 

 to the dairy school already referred to, the Govern- 

 ment would be well advised to erect cold-air stores 

 at the principal centres, in which the butter could 

 be stored between the times of shipment without 

 danger of its quality deteriorating. Such cold -air 

 stores could be built at Barnaoul and Omsk. The 

 one at Barnaoul would be of immense value, as it 

 would prevent the very heavy losses which are now 

 suffered by the peasants and merchants every year, 

 owing to the impossibility of dispatching goods to 

 the railway during the spring thaws, which last three 

 or four weeks. Another serious disadvantage con- 

 sists in the circumstance that the steamers plying 

 on the River Obi are not fitted with refrigerators, 

 owing to which large quantities of butter are ex- 

 posed to excessive heat in summer and are con- 

 sequently spoiled. This means a very serious loss 

 to the traders. A permanent cold store could supply 

 the boats with cold air which would keep at a low 

 temperature for three days, if they were fitted to hold 

 it. It would be a splendid speculation for a British 

 firm to construct three fairly powerful, flat -bottomed 

 boats, fitted with refrigerators, and run them on the 

 Obi. They would be independent of competition, as 

 the existing boats, owing to their not being provided 

 with cold storage, could not run against them, and 

 the traders would never risk their butter in any other 

 conveyance once the refrigerator boats were running. 

 The charges on the existing boats vary with the 

 season, and according to the difficulties and dangers 

 of navigation. They are highest in July and August, 

 when the water in the river is low. The bed of 

 the river being broad, an extensive surface is exposed 



