SPECIAL NOTES FOR SPECIAL READERS.

Southland Times, Issue 19001, 21 March 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

SPECIAL NOTES FOR SPECIAL READERS.

A NEW AGRICULTURAL RIVAL.

Many eyes are watching Siberia which is almost certain to prove a strong rival to all Ihe other exporting countries of the world. She is destined to become a great producer and exporter of agricultural products^ Already she has shown astonishing vitality in lierefforts at dairying. The opening of the West Siberian railroad about seven years ago made the exportation of butter possible. An idea of the increasing interest in dairying is shown by the record of the butter exports as follows :— 1894, 4001 b .; 1895, 5,0001 b .; 189K, 16,5891 b .; 1897, 72,5081 b .; IS9B, 174,4251 b.; 1899, 314,0001 b.; I'JOO, 1,081,0001 b.; iirst eight months of 1901, •2,000,0001 b. Having passed the million uiavk, wo may expect to see the amount annually exported rapidly increase. Enormous wheat growing areas in Siberia are now being opened up by the now railway. The itusrfiau (iovernuient has long been holding out expectations that Ibis great enterprise will result in the putting of many thousands of square miles of turntory under cereal crops, anl the necessity of this is the nioro urgent as the agricultural industry in Southern Eussia is earned on under very precarious conditions, a few fat years being followed by long years of lean harvests, when, as now, the crop 3 are burnt npor perished for want of rain. By the construction of the Trans-Siberian railway, jt is hoped that the cereals grown in the rich and well-watered country stretching from the Urals to the Amur will be brought down to the southern ports in exchange tor manufactured goods, and now that the railway is approaching completion the Government is making strenuous efforts to eucounige the development of the agricultural industry in Siberia. Unfortiinatoly the exclusive policy adQnied in rejectiug foreign aid and even refusing po grant concessions to certain classes of the population is not cumulated lo facilitate t»u carrying out of this project. Hy a doci\w just published, the agricultural tern Lory is to U 1 made over to destitute nobles on condition that they will cultivate the land.uud jI- they succeed in doing so with their small resources the policy of the Government will no doubt be justified, but as tlie.au noble* have not the capital to start with it is difliI'lllt to sco how they will be able to develop the grain industry on » wiilfcwntly large, scale. Owing to tho magnitude of tho concessions granted nothing can be done without the employment; of labour-saving mcdiaiiisro.