THE RUSSIAN VOLUNTEER FLEET OF MERCHANT CRUISERS (i.e. COMMERCE-DESTROYERS). The fact noted on the coloured diagram at the beginning of this book, that "at the present moment (February, 1897) a Russian merchant cruiser is taking a present of corn from Odessa for the Indian famine," gives additional interest to the following particulars about the Russian Volunteer Fleet, taken from that excellent paper for keeping us well posted in such matters, the Daily Graphic, January 6, 1897. "SEBASTOPOL. "There are at present seven of the thirteen steamers forming the Volunteer Fleet in the port of Odessa, namely, the Petersburg, Saratoff, Orel (pronounced Aryól), Ekaterinaslaf, Keiff, Tamboff, and Yaroslavl. The Admiralty will not, therefore, be short of transports should the sudden necessity arise for landing an army corps on the Bosphorus. The other vessels of the flotilla, the Kherson, Vladimir, Kostroma, Nijni-Novgorod, Voronesh, and Khabarovsk, are at sea on the Far Eastern route. The Orel goes this week to Messrs. Hawthorn, Leslie, and Company's yard at Newcastle-on-Tyne for important constructive improvements. Two other new steamers, to be called the Moskva and Poltava, are building on the Tyne and Clyde respectively. These additions will be of the same type and capacity as the Kherson, a sketch of which recently appeared in the Daily Graphic. Orders for three further additional steamers will shortly be placed with British builders. "The net earnings of the Volunteer Fleet for 1896 will aggregate about three millions of roubles, and this sum will be expended, of course, chiefly in the purchase of new vessels. During the current year the fleet will make in all twenty-one trips to the Far East, that is, nineteen from Odessa and two from St. Petersburg. The cabin fare for the single journey, to or from Vladivostock, is 500 roubles, and the deck passage 100 roubles, both inclusive of food. The merchandise tariff averages about 40 copecks per pood. The journey from the Black Sea to Vladivostock occupies about forty days, the distance being about 10,000 miles. The Government pays 210 roubles passage and ration money for cach convict transported to Saghalien; the number of these déportés averages about 1200 each season. The association receives from the Imperial Government a yearly subsidy of 617,000 roubles. Р "The present project of the Volunteer Fleet directorate is gradually to raise the strength of their flotilla to thirty first-class vessels, all of which will be so constructed as to be readily convertible into fast armed cruisers." The project is certainly significant for us. OTHER PROPOSALS FOR FORMING A RESERVE OF FOOD. As already mentioned, Lord Winchilsea, the Miller, and others had drawn attention to the danger of our position before I did, though without my knowing it at the time I wrote the article in the Nineteenth Century, February, 1896. The publication of the article brought me many interesting letters, endorsing or criticising my proposal. Among them was the following, from a clergyman, the Rev. Sidney F. Green, who said— "The subject first was forced upon my attention by my being called upon to preach at harvest festivals; and wherever there has seemed the least use in doing so, I have dwelt upon the supreme peril of our present position-a peril to which both Athens and Rome in old days succumbed helplessly. The whole thing is so clear to me that I have sometimes felt moved to stump the country to arouse public opinion. "I trust, however, that now you have so ably stated the case, it will be warmly taken up in such a way that we may see the measure you recommend carried out in measurable time. "I was amused by your Standard critic, speaking of the contingency to be provided against, as one that might never occur. Certainly it would never occur twice." Then Mr. Wm. Bull, of 66, New Alma Road, Southampton, sent me a copy of a letter he had published in the Hampshire Advertiser for April, 1894 (suggesting we should form a reserve of ten million pounds' worth of flour), signed appropriately, "Si vis pacem para bellum." I am sure Mr. Bull will be glad to send a copy of his letter to any one wishing to have it. IRON TANKS FOR HOLDING FOUR HUNDRED GALLONS OF FOREIGN WHEAT USED AS SEED HERE. In reply to some questions I put to him, Mr. Donald McDonald sent me the following particulars about the tanks Messrs. James Carter and Co., of 237, High Holborn, use for exporting seeds of all kinds to all parts of the world. "DEAR SIR, "Replying to your inquiry, we will get our artist to take a photograph of a 400-gallon tank to-morrow. In answer to your questions "Is it airtight? Yes; this is imperative. All our seed tanks are made with an eighteen-inch manhole, into which the head is fitted when filled; it is put in with red lead, and screwed up in such a manner as to exclude the air thoroughly. "Average cost to make? This varies according to the market price of iron. A 400-gallon size measures four feet each way, and, made of best quality iron plates, should weigh about 44 cwts. Prices range from 40s. to 708. each. At present we are paying 478. 6d.; and it has ruled about this figure for a year or more; this price is for painted tanks, and not galvanized, which are always more money. The latter are supposed to last much longer, as they stand the action of water to a much greater degree than iron-coated paint. "I should say well-dried wheat would keep longer in double sacks than in an airtight tank, except under special circumstances. We have had wheat stand this fashion for two or more years; and samples, too, that have had no special drying. "How long will a tank last? This depends upon treatment. I had a galvanized iron one fitted out-of-doors at my house, for holding rain-water; and although it has been up for nine and a half years, beyond looking dirty outside, it seems to be as good as new. I had it made by the same people that do our seed tanks. A painted tank would probably not have so long a life, as rust soon plays havoc with ordinary iron. "Yours faithfully, "DONALD MCDONALD. "P.S.-Wheat also gets affected with a weevil when packed out of condition. If thoroughly dry, and the tanks themselves kept dry, it ought to keep sweet for some time-I was going to say like the mummy wheat, but this is a myth." "In answer to your other question, as to whether foreigngrown wheat can be used as seed in this country largely "There is no doubt, on a pinch, the hard wheat of Southern Russia and the warmer parts of the United States could be reproduced here; but they lose their vigour to such an extent that they would probably only give half a crop here of either straw or grain. The millers like these hard grains because they can be more easily manipulated-make whiter flour and a better-coloured sample; but as to nourishment-well, give me the soft wheaten flour of Britain. "The grains in an ear of South Russian wheat, grown roughly in the usual way, would probably not average more than twenty to thirty. WHY NOT COPY THE AMERICAN IDEA OF A NATIONAL POSTMARK? "A SUGGESTION FOR THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL. (I have reprinted this correspondence, as I believe very strongly in showing our flag. By the way, the slight mistake in the red-ensign in my coloured diagram was not mine, but the printer's.-R. B. M.) "TO THE EDITOR OF THE Westminster Gazette. 66 "DEAR SIR,-Every day seems to make it more necessary that the bonds between the Colonies and the Mother Country should be strengthened as much as possible. I send you a facsimile of the new American postmark, and venture to say we might copy this capital Yankee notion, and stamp our letters with the Union Jack. Then every mail would carry the flag all "St. Dunstan's House, Fetter-lane, E.C." "R. B. MARSTON. "THE SUGGESTION TO THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL. "TO THE EDITOR OF THE Westminster Budget. "SIR,-Certainly, to have a black-and-white vision of the Union Jack on your breakfast-table, as set forth in your issue |