The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-08 00:00:00

THE CATTLE TRADE OF SOUTH
RUSSIA.

The whole of South Russia was formerly renowned
for its cattle. The fine bullocks, called " Teherno-
more," were sent to Austria and Germany, and to
supply the markets at St. Petersburg and Moscow.
This splendid breed has degenerated of late years in
the same ratio as rural economy has declined. With
the introduction of agrciulture cattle breeding has
lessened, yet in some parts of the province of Tagan-
rog, it is still profitably carried on. Herds are fed on
the luxuriant grasses that abound in early summer,
and are driven to the northern and western provinces
for sale. Though since the spreading of epizootic
diseases, as a precautionary measure, the bullocks
are most sent to the north by rail. As cattle are
comparatively cheap, a lucrative trade might be
carried on from the Azoff to the Mediterranean ports,
if proper ar (1 regular means of transport were avail-
able. The food supply question, says the British
Consul at Taganrog, persistently forces itself into
prominence, and as Great Britain imports frozen meat
from Australia, why should not the London markets
be supplied from South Russia, and those vast tracts
lying within the triangle formed by the Don, Volga,
and Kouban ? At least it is worth while making an
attempt on a small scale. Difficulties will be en-
countered at first, until a system is thoroughly orga-
nised. An ordinary bullock, small size, weighs scwts.;
when larger and in condition, 6icwts., and costs,
sinking the offal, £6 to £B, or £1 4s. 4d. per cwt.—
about 2id. per lb. Large stores of ice could be made
in the Azoff during the winter at about 2s. per ton. A
place on the southern shore of the Azoff would be the
most convenient place :or shipment, or at Taman.
When the railway to Novorossisk is completed a very
large trade could be carried on at that port, as the
line taps the Don Cossack breeding ranges. On the
passage the intermediate ports, Constantinople, and
the garrisons at Malta and Gibraltar, could be sup
plied with fresh bed. Flour might also be advan-
tageously shipped from Rostoff, and the cargo com-
pleted with any other produce. Dairy farming is a
branch neglected completely in this province. As a
rule, oxen are simply reared for field labour, as
draught animals, costing from .£4 to .£7. They
have hitherto been preferred to horses on account
of the ease with which ground fodder is ;found
bordering the roads. Of late years, the good ex-
ample set by the German colonists of using horses
Is being imitated; they cost from £3 to £6. The
bullocks soon become overworked, and when old, the
same as cows, they are killed for butcher's meat;
good stall fed cattle are seldom seen in this part of
the country. One item considered of importance is
the manure from the cattle pens, which is made up
into bricks, sun-dried, and used for fuel. The breed
of oxen is very hardy; they pass the night in un-
covered sheds; for seven to eight months they find
pastures on the steppe, and during the winter they
are fed on straw and chaff—hay being given only to
the oxen at ploughing, time to keep up their strength;
they get little or no salt. Hence it is clear that under
such conditions cattle plague must always exist in a
latent form in the villages; 5214 head died in this
province in 1883.