Dec. 1894.] GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOaES. 



22i 



was requested to communicate directly with the steamship 

 companies, demanding that, in consideration of the subsidy paid 

 by Tasmania for mails, space should be reserved at the same rate 

 of freight as that paid by Victoria. To this the Treasury replied 

 stating that space for 310 tons had been secured by two of the 

 principal steamship lines during the years referred to. Further 

 negotiations have taken place with a view to a final settlement 

 of tei ms. It appears that both of the steamship companies are 

 willing to give the Tasmanian Government the same terms from 

 Melbourne as those given to the Victorian Government. 



Dairying and Poultry-keeping in Russia. 



The Moscoiv Gazette has recently published inforination 

 relating to the measures which the Russian Ministry of 

 Agriculture proposes to take to counteract the effect of the 

 depreciation of cereals in that country. 



It is contended that the most effective remedy is to stimulate 

 the different branches of agriculture — dairying and poultry- 

 keeping in particular — in such a manner as to convert grain 

 into more remunerative products. It has accordingly been 

 decided to render assistance to the dairy industry by employing 

 exj)erts from abroad, and by publishing instructive information 

 on dairy processes. It is also proposed to raise loans for the 

 establishment of cheese and butter factories. Improvements 

 are to be introduced in the system of conveying dairy products 

 by rail, and the railway rates are to be reduced. Depots are 

 to be established for the storage of butter and cheese, and the 

 market prices of these articles are to be regularly published, 

 it is expected that the dairy industry in Russia will by this 

 means rapidly develop. 



A recent official publication, to which reference was made in 

 the last number of this Journal, has shown how small is the 

 poultry-keeping industry in Russia, although the conditions 

 necessary for its extension are favourable. The Moscoiv Gazette, 

 in advocating this extension, states that there is an increasing 

 demand, especially from abroad, for Russian eggs and poultry. 

 To show the extent of this demand, statistics are given from 

 which it appears that the export of eggs from Russia was 

 eleven times larger in 1893 than in 1882. Great as this increase 

 has been, it is, however, stated to be small in proportion to the 

 demand, the imports into England and Germany alone being five 

 timers as large as the Russian exports of eggs. 



If poultry rearing has not developed to a large extent in 

 Russia, it is probably due to the fact that, until comparatively 

 recently, the cultivation of cereals was remunerative. In view 

 of the increasing foreign demand for eggs and poultry, an effort 

 is being niMde by the Government to foster the industry, and 

 in official circles it is contended that the peasantry will be the 

 class to gain most by this development. 



