VISIT TO THE NORTH-EAST OF EUROPE. 279 
stables. The proceeds of the sale were 82,625 silver roubles and 
88i kopeks. 
The object proposed in the sale was twofold — to supply, no 
doubt, a productive quality of horses to the labours of the country; 
but principally to procure funds towards the extinction of a debt 
contracted in acquiring the grounds of Khrenoff. 
The stud grooms and officials (who are furnished with their 
recruits from among the sons of the subordinate dependants of the 
establishments and the peasants belonging to them) were, on the 
1st of January, 1849 (old style), 3298 in number, including 
1310 boys. 
With the view of affording an education to the children of these 
functionaries, the Government has established schools for them, and 
to these schools the miscellaneous public are also admitted as pen- 
sioners. The schools furnish two courses — one elementary, and 
intended to form the pupils for the more subordinate duties; the 
other serving as a preparation for the veterinary calling. In 1849 
the students amounted to 646 in number; of whom 611 were State 
bursars, and 35 private pensioners. In addition to these institu- 
tions, there is a technical school at the Khrenoff stud, where the 
pupils are farmed for training grooms and jockeys ; and a special 
stable for racers has been annexed to the establishment. 
The capital possessed by this department consisted, at the be- 
ginning of 1848, of 108,297 silver roubles 23 kopeks. The year’s 
income was 402,173 silver roubles 94J kopeks ; the expenses in 
the same period were 432,984 silver roubles 9jJ kopeks; the 
balance, therefore, was 77,486 silver roubles 23 kopeks in hand 
on the 12th of January last year. 
Besides these more formal institutions, there are twenty-three 
country establishments destined to the improvement of the rural 
breed of horses. These twenty-three are scattered through twenty- 
eight governments. So far back even as 1848 their stables num- 
bered no less than 1337 stallions. 
In the governments of Yaroslaff, Riazan, Toula, Timbirsk, Khan- 
koff, Poltava, and some others, these stables contain some thorough- 
bred stallions for the improvement of cavalry horses, and the annual 
proceeds are carried to the general fund. 
At Moscow, moreover, and in the stud of Khrenoff, there are 
stables established exclusively for the production of a purer breed ; 
and in the twelve months 40,673 mares have been offered at these 
country stables , and 25,397 taken. Indeed, 91,000 have been 
covered since the recent date of the foundation of these establish- 
ments, and at the least sixty-seven per cent, have foaled. The ca- 
valry horses are already bettered in consequence. 
For the. maintenance of these stables a sum is assessed upon the 
