INVADED RUSSIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 August 1943, Page 4

INVADED RUSSIA

VALUABLE FARM STOCK MOVED TO SAFETY PEDIGREE HERDS & FLOCKS. PREPARATIONS FOR RETURN TO UKRAINE. (By Arkadi Litvak, in “Soviet War News.”) The war forced the Soviet people to evacuate not only factories, but farms as well. One of the main concerns of Soviet farmers was to see that the marauders did not profit from all that Soviet power had done in the Ukraine for 25 years in breeding pedigree stock. The herds were driven away to the rear under enemy fire. Valuable breeds of poultry were also saved. It was an amazing migration. t.

. Many people abroad have heat'd of the Ukrainian State preserve “Askania Nova,” where the famous Askania Rambouillet merino was raised. When invasion threatened; over 3,800 purebred sheep and cross-breds of the extremely prolific Karakul were transferred from Askania-Nova to the Volga districts. I

Twenty-five of the best shepherds went with them, cared for them during the hardships of the journey, and delivered them safely at their destination. The animals became acclimatised in a very short time. Peregon, head of the sheep-breeding laboratory, and Vanikov, head research worker, are continuing their researches into Karakul breeding. The pigs were evacuated, too. The famous Ukrainian steppe breed is thriving by the Volga. The biggest Ukrainian poultry raising centre used to supply over 250,000 incubator chickens and ducklings, and over a million eggs to collective and State farms each year. This centre is now established in the Krasnoyarsk district of the Volga. The birds are kept under excellent conditions in their new home, and are well supplied with grain and albuminous and vitaminous food. The staff is at present concerned with increasing the stock of pure-bred hens, ducks and geese sufficiently to get poultry farms going in ten neighbouring collectives this year. Bozhko, the acting director, told me that special efforts are being made to restore pedigree poultry breeding in the collective farms of the liberated districts. Every fresh bit of news about the Red Army’s advance gives an additional impetus to the staff’s desire to help the people to get their farms going again. Just now, the centre is preparing to restore poultry breeding at its experimental base, the “Borka” State farm in the Kharkov district, where in 1940 the stocks of hens, ducks, geese and turkeys exceeded 50,000.

“When we go back to the Ukraine!” All through the black days, people were busy preparing to stock the Ukrainian farms with Askania Rambouillet sheep, white Ukrainian steppe pigs, Leghorns and Peking ducks. It took courage and belief in the future to- carry on while the dark tide of invasion crept over the Ukraine. 'JNday they have their reward for their nard work and theii’ confidence in the future.