THE CONDITIONS OF RUSSIAN AGRICULTURE 181 



Most villages in Western Russia possess a common threshing- 

 floor and a specially constructed drying house fitted with a 

 fireplace, where the inhabitants can dry their crops. Not only is 

 the final drying of the flax seed carried out in a heated chamber 

 but grain crops in general are frequently so treated after having 

 been dried as far as possible out-of-doors. This artificial drying 

 operation often lasts for two or three days and, if the outdoor 

 conditions are not favourable to drying, a longer period is 

 necessary before the crop can be deprived of its moisture 

 sufficiently. 



Dotted about at convenient places all over this part of the 

 country small pits may be seen in which water accumulates. 

 At the proper season of the year, these are used as pits for 

 retting flax. During early autumn, when the flax straw is taken 

 from the water and is spread on the land, so as to complete the 

 retting process, the whole countryside becomes covered with 

 flax. One may drive many miles and see scarcely a change in 

 the monotonous landscape ; everywhere flax, nothing but closely 

 arranged rows of retted straw spread over the country. 



Further south in the same province, near the upper part of 

 the river Sheion and not far from Dedoviezy, is one of the three 

 stations for the promotion and improvement of flax cultivation 

 which have been established by the Ministry of Agriculture. 

 At this station various methods of retting are practised and the 

 application of artificial manure and the use of better appliances 

 are explained and demonstrated to those who desire to become 

 improved. Much rain falls in that district about harvest time 

 and in consequence considerable difficulty is experienced in 

 getting the crops up in proper condition. To overcome this 

 difficulty and to make the farmer less dependent upon the 

 weather, several drying sheds have been erected to receive the 

 crops. These are simply constructed sheds with open sides, 

 fitted with trellis shelves, so that the crop laid upon them is dried 

 equally both from below and from above. Flax and clover 

 dried in this manner are found to be superior to crops which 

 have been dried in the open subject to the inclement weather. 

 Clover dried under cover is beautifully sweet and fragrant and 

 the fibre obtained from flax straw allowed to dry in the shed is of 

 superior quality ; moreover the saving of good seed is made pos- 

 sible. So much success has attended the experiment that quite 

 a number of drying sheds are now in process of construction. 



