RUSSIAN BUTTER. 93 

128,678 acres, aS against 115,931 acres in 1898, so that the 
area under beet, which had increased by 7,126 acres in 1808, 
agaim imereased by 12,747 acres in 1899. The produce 
obtained from this area was 16,044,000 cwts. of beetroot, and 
1,843,600 cwts. of sugar, which was somewhat lower than the 
yield of 1898, when 2,107,000 cwts. of sugar were obtained. 
For beet plantations 1899 was most unfavourable, though 
not so bad as in Podolia and Volhynia. ‘The roots were 
sodden with wet, and contained very little sugar. When the 
crop was all got in it was found that throughout the district 
between Pniew and Wloclawek, Gostinine and Lenczyca, 
where most of the beet plantations lie, the average crop 
was about 6 to 7 cwts. per acre less than the year before, 
besides which the condition of the roots was very bad. 
[Forergn Office Refort, Annual Series, No. 2425, Price 24d. | 

Fora considerable period residents in the large towns of 
Racsian Batter. Russia, especially Moscow and St. Peters- 
burg, have derived their supplies of table 
butter from Finland, while the home made article, on account 
of its inferior quality, was used only for pastry, ships’ pro- 
visions, and similar purposes. Of recent years, however, 
the rapid development of the Russian dairy industry has led 
to a great improvement in the quality of the native butter. 
Dairying on the Danish system was introduced into Russia 
proper (except the Baltic provinces, where the dairy industry 
is nearly equal in development to that of Germany) about 
25 years ago, the dairies being mostly situated in the districts 
of Jaroslaw, Wologda, Kostroma, Twer, and Smolensk. 
The butter from these districts is improving every year in 
quality, and finds a ready sale at good prices, both in Russia 
and abroad. In Siberia the modern dairy movement is only 
about five years old, but since the Siberian railway was 
opened the industry has progressed rapidly. The town of 
Kurgan is the centre cf the dairy industry in West Siberia, 
