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RUSSIA - CREDIT 



Unfortunately, as the statistics of the zemstvos show, these data do not 

 represent the real position of the purchasers or their true economic resources. 

 Many peasants are in easy circux-nstances because while they own only very 

 little land they lease other land. Statistics as to live stock, and especially 

 as to animals employed on field-work, also do not allow of exact conclu- 

 sions, for a system exists very commonly of tilling leased land with animals 

 belonging to the owner. The data are however those which come nearest 

 to expressing the economic position of the peasants who acquire the lands. 

 The following table show the measure in which the peasants are able to 

 cultivate the land they buy with their own resources. 



Tabie XXVII. — Resources in Live Stock of Purchasers of the Bank's Lands. 



It appears from this table that the total number of the purchasers 

 having live stock is much superior to that of the landless purchasers, and 

 this confirms our previous statement, and allows the conclusion that most 

 of the lands passed to peasants whose pro.sperity was above the average. 



The position would be more clearly shown if we could give data show- 

 ing not the land and live stock owned but the atea cultivated by the pur- 

 chasers. 



The total number of peasants who, with the bank's support, bought 

 land from individuals was 32,108, and of these 3,820 or 11. 9 per cent, had 

 previously no land. The 28,988 others owned 205,038 deciatines or an ave- 

 rage of 7.2 deciatines for each purchaser. 



