334 



Russian Live Stock Industry. 



Transcaucasia and in the steppe districts of Central Asia and 

 Western Siberia cattle herding is still the predominant 

 industry of the inhabitants. 



The cattle, known as Great Russian cattle, raised in 

 the northern and north-eastern districts of Russia are 

 generally small animals, yielding an average dressed weight 

 of about 250 lbs. They are regarded as more suitable for 

 dairying than for fattening purposes, as the cows have well- 

 developed udders and, when kept in good condition, give 

 considerable quantities of milk. The so-called Kholmogor 

 cattle are raised principally in a district of that name in the 

 government of Archangel. These animals are a cross of the 

 local breed with imported Dutch cattle and are mainly 

 employed for dairying. The larger cattle of the steppe 

 breeds are chiefly utilised for meat production and as draught 

 •oxen, the two principal varieties being known as the grey 

 Ukraine and the red Kalmuck. The former are found 

 mostly in the southern and south-western governments, 

 and the Kalmuck breed in the south-eastern governments on 

 the right bank of the Volga. Ukraine cattle are tall, strong 

 animals weighing from 1,000 lbs. to 1,300 lbs. live weight, 

 though well-fattened beasts sometimes run to nearly 2,000 lbs. 

 They are, however, more difficult to fatten than the smaller 

 Kalmucks, and their meat is inferior. The Khirgiz cattle, 

 which are smaller than the Kalmucks, are bred in the 

 governments on the left bank of the Volga and in all the 

 steppe districts of Central Asia. The cows of these three 

 Steppe breeds are poor milkers, yielding scarcely sufficient 

 milk to feed their calves. The average dead weight of steppe 

 oxen is about 620 lbs. 



In the Caucasus the principal breeds of cattle are known 

 as the Tarakamsk, Grouztn, and Khevsoitrksosetinsk. These 

 are used as draught oxen principally, and the cows of the 

 last-named breed are good milkers. 



The sheep bred in Russia may be divided into two groups, 

 viz., fine wool or merino sheep, and coarse wool sheep. The 

 great sheep-breeding districts lie in the southern and south- 

 eastern governments of the Empire, the size of the flocks 

 diminishing from south to north, while in the north-eastern 



