Imperial Agricultural Society of Moscow* ggg 



richer nobles have free stewards, and most of them are ffreat 

 villains : a few, however, are reputed for their honesty and 

 good conduct*. 



" The Steward-Slaves, as they may be called, derive their 

 knowledge of agriculture from the peasants ; so that the di- 

 rector and the servant are often equally wise : indeed it does 

 not rarely occur that the latter is more learned in his pro- 

 fession than the former. To procure a good and honest and 

 clever steward in Russia, is a matter of infinite difficulty : 

 hence an adiige, ' Buy not a village, but buy a steward for 

 yourself.' The present society seems to have it in view, as a 

 principal object, to form stewards at the practical school, for 

 their estates. 



" An assembly of a number of highly respectable noblemen 

 agreed to form an Agricultural Society at Moscow in the year 

 1818. A correspondence took place with the Government on 

 this subject; and His Imperial Majesty Alexander granted 

 leave to institute a society under the name of 'The Imperial Agri- 

 cultural Society of Moscow. It was permitted that this society 

 should have its own seal with the Imperial arms, and a suit- 

 able device, and free postage of all letters and parcels. 



" The Emperor made a donation of 10,000 roubles to the 

 society ; and gave the promise of an annual sum when its 

 utility was evident: — he also presented the estate of lolmat- 

 chevoi-Gorbovo, containing 70 desiatins of land, to the society, f 



"The design of the society is the improvement of agricul- 

 ture, and of the management of cattle, as well as of the con- 

 struction of farm-houses, &c. 



" Its members are divided into active members — who reside in 

 or near town, and are supposed to be actively employed in some 

 manner or other for the good of the society : to this class also 

 belong correspondents, residing in the more distant provinces, 



• "Yule p. xsii. of the History. 



-f- "This estate is situated about IS versts (12 miles) from Moscow. His 

 Imperial Majesty, it appears, was badly advised when he granted it to the 

 Agricultural Society. In the first place, it was too small for the purposes 

 of the Society; and in the second place, it was the most arid and unpro- 

 ductive estate in the neighbourhood of the metropolis. The Society ac- 

 cepted it ; — because it could not decline an imperial present : but imme- 

 diately afterwards.it took a lease of another estate, called Butirka, situated 

 about a mile from one of the Barriers (the Dmitrovskaya), which contains 

 about 207 desiatins. Butirka is church property, but the Society intends 

 to purchase it when rich enough. Part of this estate is now drained and 

 cultivated, and a number of buildings are erected. Mr. Rogers, whose fa- 

 ther has long been famous in this neighbourhood as a practical farmer, is 

 appointed its director, and always resides on the spot. The practical school 

 spoken of in the text, is intended to be erected here. 



and 



