262 SIBERIA 



chants and peasants who own dairies are forming 

 an Association similar to those at Kourgan, for the 

 control of the produce and its better disposal. 



The Association was anxious to learn the best 

 method of packing eggs for the London market. 

 I gave them' full particulars, and my directions were 

 promptly understood and applied. In view of the 

 fact that eggs can be bought at most of the villages 

 at 50 to 60 for the is., the trade promises to be 

 a very lucrative one. Eggs have been exported 

 during the last three years from' other parts of 

 Siberia, with the result that the prices on the London 

 market have declined considerably. Importers of 

 eggs in this country will do well to remember that 

 still larger supplies will find their way from' Siberia 

 to London in the near future, and that jadvances 

 against consignments should be made with an eye 

 to the ever- increasing quantities of pggs imported. 

 What may look, when the credit is opened, like a: 

 fairly modest advance with a good margin for pos- 

 sible fluctuations, may be above the market prices 

 by the time the goods arrive on the spot, and con- 

 siderable losses may easily result to the trade. The 

 import of eggs from Siberia figures in the returns as 

 from " Russia," in the same way as Siberian butter 

 is shown as Russian butter; but, whereas the Russian 

 egg and butter industries are well developed, those 

 of Siberia are still in their infancy. In a year or 

 two prices will reach the lowest point, and Russia 

 and Siberia alone, by reason of their immense 

 resources and the cheapness of labour, will be able 

 to hold their own, to the gradual destruction of the 

 dairy industries in other countries, many of which 

 already import large quantities of the cheap Siberian 

 butter and eggs, in order to release their own 

 produce for export. In course of time, as the London 

 market cheapens, this policy will cease to be re- 

 munerative, and the Siberian article, having killed 



