THE CONDITIONS OF RUSSIAN AGRICULTURE 193 



In Poland and the north part of the " Pale," large quantities of 

 potatoes, apples and sugar-beet are grown in addition to the 

 more usual crops of grain. Further south, besides sugar-beet, 

 rye and wheat, maize is extensively cultivated ; tobacco growing 

 is largely carried on in the province of Bessarabia. Flax is 

 extensively grown as a seed crop in the southern part of the 

 Steppe region where the climate is warm. For the most part, 

 agricultural practices differ little from those which obtain in 

 similar regions, with the exception that farming is more intensive 

 and machinery plays an important part in all operations. 



Owing to a number of distinct causes, such as better educa- 

 tion, mineral resources and the requirements of local industry, 

 the extreme south and the Caucasian provinces boast of still 

 better conditions of agriculture. In the Caucasus, Russian 

 husbandry is seen at its best; wheat, rye, sunflower, melons, 

 fruit, tobacco, tea and cotton are all raised in the district between 

 the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The horrors of famine are 

 unknown in this beautiful region because of the diversity of the 

 crops, as well as the steadying effect of horse-breeding; cattle and 

 small-stock raising allows of intensive cultivation being carried on. 



The time will come when these more flourishing conditions 

 will extend over a large part of Russia instead of being confined 

 to a relatively small region ; indeed it is admitted that a great 

 change is setting in ; already there is evidence of this even in 

 the more remote parts of the Empire. Left to themselves the 

 peasants will not change but show them how to progress and 

 they will progress up to the hilt. At the present time, it may 

 be said truthfully that they are being shown how to progress. 



The undoubted desire of the peasant is to become an inde- 

 pendent agriculturist, to own his own land ; to this end, assistance 

 is being given by the operation of the State Land Fund and the 

 Peasant Land Bank, which jointly work to bring about the 

 change. In recent years the State has done much to improve 

 the condition of the agriculturist, recognising in a practical 

 manner the valuable constructive work done by co-operative 

 societies. The possibilities that have been opened up and the pro- 

 gress that has been made in agricultural districts by the organisa- 

 tion of co-operative and credit societies are quite remarkable. 

 Judging from the present beneficial results, it would seem that 

 the Ministry of Agriculture looks well to the future when foster- 

 ing the growth of these institutions. 



