] ] SIBERIA. 



palatinsk, Akruoliii.sk iiinl 'J ratisbaikulia. TIhj nMiiainilei is divided bot\vet;u Yakutsk, the Lit- 

 toral and tlic Anioiii- tonitories. As regards the two latter temtones and certain localities of 

 steppe n.'gions it must Ix; observed that, thanks to successful colonization, th<; agricultural 

 productivity of tln;s(! hjcalities has latti.Tly grown extraordinarily rapidly, and that there is no 

 doiiht hut that in lli<! near I'liture they will occupy a very prominent place in the ranks of grain 

 jJiodurjML'- couiiiiii's. 'J'urning to the kind of trrain cultivated in Siberia, it must be observed 

 that about 00 i)er cent of llii- whole production consists of spring wheat and oaLs, about 20 

 per cent winter rye, while tiu^ remaining 20 per cent represents all other kinds of grain. 



The instability of the prices is the most striking feature, as also the uncertainty of 

 the harvests, in the wheat area, and lliis is particularly the ease in the southern part of tho 

 Tobidsk govcrnniciit. The average prices for this locality are as follows: 



Kye In kernel . . . .20 — 25 kopecks per poud 



Wheat 50 — 60 » » » 



Oats 1.20 — 1.30 roubles per chetvert 



or 20 — 22 kopecks per poud 



The miniiiiiiin prici' to which rye has fallen during the last 20 years was 8 to 10 kopecks a 

 poud; the maxinuun limit, in 1870, 80 kopecks to 1.20 roubles; in 1884, 1.50 roubles, and 1892, 

 over 2 roubles per poud. The rapid change of prices may be seen for example from the fact that 

 between the autumn of 1887 and that of 1888 the price of rye in the southern part of 

 Tobolsk enhanced almost fivefold, namely from 12 to 15 kopecks to 60 to 70 kopecks per poud. 

 In localities situated to the east of Tomsk, which sow for the most part rye, the fluctuations of 

 grain prices, as also those of the harvests, are somewhat less severe. The average grain 

 prices rise in moving from west to east. Thus, in the north-eastern part of the government 

 of Tomsk the prices during a twenty-five years period were as follows: 



Rye Hour. . . . 4S kopecks per poud 

 "VMieat flour. . . 76 » » » 

 Oats 41 » » » 



In the Irkutsk government the stan<iard average prices for the last seven years were: 



Rye flour about 1. 20 roubles per poud 



Wheat !> 1. 90 » » » 



Oats 1. 10 » » » 



The fluctuations for the Tomsk market during the last twenty-five years fall between the 

 following limits: 



Maximum. Minimum. Ratio of max. to miu. 

 Rye flour . . . 1. 45 roubles 23 kopecks 6. 3 



Wheat » ... 1. 80 » 30 » 6. 



Oats 1. 10 » 17 » 6. 5 



