190 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



herbage, where there is not a tree to be seen and where droves 

 of horses roam about in almost a wild state. A journey across 

 this region resembles a sea voyage; the lines of the horizon 

 constantly retreat before the eyes without changing in aspect : 

 occasionally the view extends far away into the distance where 

 earth and sky merge together into an indefinite haze. Not a 

 tree is to be seen, scarcely a bush of respectable size to give 

 a touch of variety to the landscape. Although the soil is rich, 

 it is exceedingly light, lighter even than fine sand, so that one's 

 own conveyance raises in its wake a cloud of dark dust which 

 slowly drifts across the country. 



Villages are more frequently met with than in other parts 

 of Russia ; they are cleaner and generally more orderly. As 

 no wood is available, the cottages are built of brick and stone 

 and are heavily thatched with straw : quite a contrast to the 

 rickety wooden structures which constitute a village in the 

 forest region. The climate is almost temperate, the soil 

 dark — nearly black — and very deep, producing good crops of 

 grain. There must be a wonderful future in store for this 

 fertile area. The condition of agriculture in the Steppe region 

 is advanced when compared with other parts of Russia; already 

 the peasants have grasped the advantage of using machinery 

 and through the operation of credit associations they are now 

 able to purchase modern appliances. The Russian peasants 

 are not thrifty, they would seldom save sufficient to be able 

 to purchase a machine outright, so these associations will 

 probably play an important part in developing Russian agri- 

 culture. In many villages modern agricultural appliances are 

 to be seen amid primitive surroundings and during the month 

 of August, when harvest is in progress, the changing hum of 

 the steam threshing machine may be heard on most of the large 

 estates. The corn is cut and left in the field until threshing 

 commences, when a long stream of carts carry the sheaves from 

 the Steppe to the threshing machine. Numbers of women and 

 girls receive them, cut the bands and pass the sheaves on to 

 men who feed them into the machine while others stoke the 

 engine with the issuing straw. When threshing commences, 

 it is often carried right through to completion, lasting day and 

 night for several weeks on the large estates, great animation 

 prevailing ; indeed it is a wonderful and picturesque sight. 



Extensive horse breeding is a feature of the north Steppe 



