or Black Earth of Russia. 129 



these black tracts in the dry summer of last year, my companions 

 and myself were often, during a whole day, more or less sur- 

 rounded by a cloud of black dust arising from the dried up 

 " Tchornoi Zem," which, even in rich grass countries, like those 

 east of Odoyef, is of so subtle a nature as to rise up through the 

 sod, under the stamp of the horse's feet, and form so dense a 

 cloud, that on arriving at our station we were often amused at 

 our chimney-sweep appearance.* 



'2. The " Tchornoi Zem" is unquestionably the finest soil in 

 Russia, whether for the production of wheat or grass. It is so 

 fertile as arable land, that the farmers never apply manure ; and, 

 after taking many crops in succession, leave it fallow for a year 

 or two, and then resume their scourging treatment. The natural 

 productiveness of this soil has doubtless tended to confirm the 

 prejudices of the peasants of Central Russia against the use of 

 manure, enormous piles of which, the accumulation of ages, are 

 seen behind most villages and towns, forming, between the houses 

 and the river below them, hillocks of considerable magnitude, the 

 export of which might really prove a very beneficial trade to those 

 countries more advanced in agriculture, and whose poorer soils 

 are worthless without repeated dressings of manure. In the mean 

 time, however, it is right to state that well-educated Russian pro- 

 prietors of such lands in Central Russia are now labouring hard 

 to overcome the ignorance of their peasants, and have in some 

 instances succeeded in inducing them to manure their fields; 

 whilst in the northern governments, where the soil and climate 

 are more adverse to the cultivator, improved agricultural habits 

 are becoming prevalent, and in all the military and German 

 colonies manure is regularly harrowed in, the culture being occa- 

 sionally as clean as in some parts of Western Europe. 



In the central southern regions I may particularly cite M. Da- 

 vidof, an extensive proprietor of black earth in the rich tract 

 between Stavropol and Sysran, as one of the most spirited 

 modern agriculturists. Educated in Scotland, where he acquired 



* Although it has been said that this black earth is unlike any superficial 

 deposit in Europe, it is probable that the fine black earth of Hungary is 

 merely a western limb of the great Russian accumulation. The " Tchornoi 

 Zem " is indeed somewhat analogous in colour, uniformity of deposit, and fer- 

 tilizing properties, to the " Regur " or cotton soil of the central (Deccan) and 

 southern (Trichinopoly, &c.) districts of Hiudostan. In a memoir com- 

 municated to the Royal Society, in 1837, by Lieut. Newbold, of the Madras 

 Army, that otficer describes this Indian humus as being spread out in patches 

 over wide tracts, and at all levels, and it is supposed by him to have been 

 formed under water. In aspect, however, as well as in composition, the " Re- 

 gur " differs from the " Tchornoi Zem " in not being so black, in containing 

 much coarser grains of sand, and also calcareous (tufaceous) concretions, 

 which are attributed by Mr. Newbold to springs rising from the subjacent 

 rocks. 



VOL. III. K 



