Siberian Butter Industry. 



375 



the establishment of special dairy schools* by the Government, 

 the appointment of more official instructors, and with the efforts 

 of the agricultural societies and authorities in general, the 

 peasants will gradually be compelled to attend to the sanitary 

 conditions of their dairies, and to improve the technical 

 production of the butter. 



" Our butter is not bracked " is the answer often given by 

 dairy owners to observations on the state of their dairies or the 

 quality of the butter. The necessity of some system of 

 grading, either in Siberia itself or at the ports of despatch, is 

 insisted upon by impartial authorities, though opposed by the 

 trade as unnecessary and as but occasioning impediments to 

 quick despatch. 



The general average of the butter, considering the unfailing- 

 demand from year to year, more especially in the British market, 

 must, however, notwithstanding the conditions of its make, have 

 by now reached a certain fair grade, whether it be for table use, 

 or for confectionery and similar purposes. This demand the 

 local buying offices in Siberia must satisfy. The competition 

 between them is extreme. As things are, the peasant bringing 

 his lot of butter just when most needed cannot be turned off or 

 offended simply because it is of inferior quality, or next time he 

 will carry his goods elsewhere. The trivial difference of 8d. 

 or is. 4d. per cwt. for quality is no inducement to the producer 

 to overhaul his works or his entire procedure. The trade itself 

 thus brings no practical pressure to bear on the conditions of 

 production. As already mentioned, certain inherent qualities ol 

 the butter, due to the richness of the milk, have enabled it to 

 survive even these conditions, as well as the long transport by 

 road and by river, by rail and by sea, to Western markets. 

 Its estimation in the foreign market might, however, be im- 

 measurably raised by improvements in the whole method of 

 production and by the application of the simplest principles of 

 sanitation. 



A movement, encouraged by the authorities, is now on foot, 

 and already taking practical shape, to establish peasant co- 

 operative dairies, one for an entire village, or, in some cases, for 



* ;£io,6oo has been assigned for one at Omsk. Others will be established 

 Kourgan and Tomsk. See also the note on page 406 of this Journal. 



