53^ Agricultural Machinery for Russia. 



The plants are removed from the soil with a pitch-fork, and 

 the roots cut from the stalks, cleaned, and afterwards peeled 

 by means of a special knife. After peeling, the root is 

 repeatedly washed in clear water, and spread on mats and 

 dried in the sun. It is afterwards placed on the market 

 either in its natural state, or shaped in beads, or reduced into 

 an extremely fine and soft powder for the toilet. This industry 

 has been in existence for half a century, for the orris root, 

 although not altogether unknown to the farmer, was formerly 

 considered of no value and thrown away as a useless and 

 injurious plant. It was after 1842 that its merits became 

 gradually known, and for the last 20 years its cultivation has 

 been greatly extended. The industry is at present a source 

 of moderately good profits, the production of orris root being 

 nearly 6,000 cwts. per annum. 



[Foreign Office Report, Miscellaneous Series, No. 570.] 



A recent, report to the Foreign Office by H.M. Consul 



General at Odessa contains the reminder 



Free Import of that certain agricultural machines may 



Agricultural k e imported into Russia duty-free, and 

 Machinery into . J 

 Russia until their spare parts either free or at a 



1903. reduced rate, until the 18th December, 



1903. Full lists may be seen in the 

 Board of Trade Journal for July and October, 1898. The 

 Consul General does not know whether this period of in- 

 dulgence will be extended, but he points out that the present 

 time is opportune for business purposes, as regards the 

 absence of import duty. 



Among agricultural implements imported into Russia, 

 harvesters, binders, mowers, reapers, and horse rakes are sup- 

 plied mainly by the United States. Steam threshers are 

 supplied by British manufacturers, but German firms have 

 followed British, models, and are gaining a footing in the 

 market by giving longer credit and selling more cheaply. 



Single and double ploughs, drills, broadcast seeders, hand 

 and horse-power threshing machines are made in Russia, and 



