lOG SlUEKIA. 



field by caltle, and also lo the ravouiable natural conditious, the abt^ence of droughts and 

 hailstorms et cetera, complete crop failures here hardly ever occur, and in general very bad 

 harvests are rare. Xot often rising very high, the harvests ordinarily keep near the average 

 standard, which is hero very fair. In hjcalities where part of the fallow field is manured the 

 averiige yi(;ld of rye lluctuates between 70 and 80 pouds per dessiatine, only on the very 

 worst fields falling to fiO pomls. Tin- yields for t)ats and barley vary within about the same 

 limits. J-'urtlicr to the north where the whole fallow' liebl is manured, rye gives on an average 

 80, oats and barley, from 90 to 100 pouds per dessiatine. On the region of two-field farming 

 the yields of rye also flactuate from 70 to 80 pouds, but spring crops give considerably more. 

 Oats give on an average 110 to 120, barley 100 or 110 pouds per dessiatine. Thanks to 

 such high yields the population of some localities of the Tobolsk government, lying near the 

 very northernmost limit of husbandry, lives notwithstanding the insignificant extent of the 

 arable land, on its own grain. 



Very dillerent is the case in localities where the rest-system still prevails. The average 

 figures of the productivity are here also fairly, and in some places, very satisfactory. Thus, 

 the average figures of the harvests for w^heat fluctuate in the above indicated wheat regions 

 between 60 and 80 pouds, and only where wheat reaches its extreme northern limits, or 

 encounters unfavourable conditions of soil, fall to 50, 40 pouds and lower. Winter rye in 

 localities abounding in forest and having suitable soils, gives on an average also from 60 to 

 80, sometimes even as much us 90 ponds per dessiatine, and only on the very worst soils 

 does the average yield sink from 40 to 50 pouds. Such are also the limits of fluctuation and the 

 average figure for the yield of spring rye in the localities where it is most grown. As for 

 oats, two figures representing the average yield must be noted : when sown on fallow, and 

 when sown on stubble fields. In the first case oats, even upon comparatively bad lands, yield 

 on an average not less than 80 to 100 pouds per dessiatine. When the sowing is on stubble, 

 even the best lands do not reach this average standard, while bad lands yield not more than 

 40 to 50 ponds per dessiatine. Finally, barley in the region of the rest-system of farming is 

 only sown on bad and exhausted lamls, where it gives better crops than any other breadstuff. 

 Where rye either does not grow^ at all, or yields some 30 to 40 pouds per dessiatine, barley 

 with an average harvest gives 50 to 60 pouds. 



But the figures quoted are far from affording material for drawing true conclusions in 

 reference to the economical position of the Siberian agriculturist. The extremely violent and 

 W'ide fluctuations deprive these averages of almost all significance. The upper limits of these 

 fluctuations are very high, 180, 200, 240 pouds of wheat, 180 to 200 pouds of rye, 200 to 

 250 pouds of barley, 250 to 350 pouds of oats per dessiatine; such yields without irrigation 

 or manuring have excited the wonder of travellers and created for Siberia the reputation of 

 a country of fabulous fertility. But such harvests occur once in several dozen years, and 

 then only upon the lands which are best in respect to conditions of climate and freshness. 

 Of course, a much less yield, 100 or 120 pouds of wheat or rye, 150 to 180 pouds of oats, 

 and so on is sufficient to enrich the argiculturist. Such harvests formerly happened 

 pretty often, and it was they that created the prosperity of the Siberian peasant farmer. 

 During the last decades there have been not seldom more or less complete crop failures. 



