THE ACTIVITY OF THE PEASANTS LAND BANK 



41 



In 1915, 357 wells were sunk and 59 previously in existence were re- 

 made ; 90 basins were constructed ; and 4,500 deciationes of land, in which 

 75 kilometres of canal were dug, were improved. Other works, such as the 

 strengthening of banks and making of bridges, were also executed. The 

 total cost of these works was 1,401,307 roubles as against 2,250,490 roubles 

 in 1914, giving a reduction of 37.7 per cent. 



The followirg table shows that 7,747 wells and 2,868 basins were dug 

 and 213,500 deciatines of land were improved between 1909 and 1915. 



Table IX. 



Works of Arrangement and I mprovement exectUed 

 in the Period 1909-1915. 



1909, 



1910, 



19TI 



1912 



191^, 



I9I5' 



Total 



7.747 



2,868 



213,500 



The area intended for liquidation in 1915 was 887,625 deciatines of which 

 528,729 deciatines had been arranged in previous years ; 31,457 deciatines 

 were intended to be sold without being arranged ; and 106,823 deciatines 

 were arranged in 1915. In the case of 48 per cent, or about 403,910 deciatines 

 the procedure for liquidation was begun to be applied, but at the end 

 of the year it had been concluded for only 137,216 deciatines as against 

 315,785 in T914 and 441,370 in 1913. 



As the bank's activity was applied principall}'- to the formation of indi- 

 vidual properties, a large part of these lands actually' passed to private 

 ownership. 



In the period in question 903,581 deciatines of houtor and 2,128,960 

 deciatines of otroub land were sold, of which only 351,582 deciatines passed 

 to collective ownership. The lands sold from 1908 to 1915 were distributed 

 as follows among the various categories of "purchasers : 



Table X. — Lands sold by the Bank from 1908 to 1915 (deciatines). 



1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 ipi4 1915 Total 



Private persons . . . 432,075 848,078 819,508 548,062 341,367 286,886 197,901 52,788 3.576,665 



Rural Societies . . . 94,217 70,814 46,851 28,281 80,446 15,771 10,423 4,779 351.582 



Private persons . . . 82.1% 92.3% 94.9% 95.1% 93-8% 94-8% 95-o% 9i-7% 100.0% 



Rural Societies . . . 17.1% 7.7% 51% 4-9% 6.2% 5.2% 5-°% 8.3% 1000% 



The lands sold by the bank as individual properties were distributed 

 among the categories of property in the following proportions : 



