TEMPERATE SURPLUS-PRODUCING REGIONS 85 



rapidly developing agricultural co-operative societies. 1 Never- 

 theless, it would be unwise to expect too much from reforms and 

 changes in the economic position or methods of the Russian peasant. 2 

 The other countries (Hungary, Roumania, Bulgaria) may be ex- 

 pected to maintain their present average surplus of cereals for some 

 time to come. 



With the exception of poultry-rearing, which is widespread, 

 animal industries are generally backward in Eastern Europe, as 

 already indicated. The numbers of live stock appear large, 3 but 

 are not a clear index of the relative position of the countries in that 

 region among producing areas, because the animals are often 

 poorly cared-for, and many of them are of an inferior type. 4 The 

 meat-producing capacity per unit of live stock is probably much 

 lower than in Western Europe or North America. Moreover, in 

 European Russia, the ratios of food-producing animals to the 

 population are lower than in most European countries, and have 

 declined ; the number of " cattle units " per 100 of the population 

 which stood at 57 in 1890, fell steadily to 41 in 1913. 



The smallest number of cattle is found on the Black Earth zone, 5 

 where the conditions are said to be not altogether unfavourable to 

 cattle-rearing. 6 The greatest number occurs in Southern and 

 South-Eastern Russia, 7 where the climatic conditions, resembling 

 those of Central Asia, are unfavourable to the production of first- 

 class animals. Sheep are more numerous on the Black Earth 

 zone than elsewhere, but are being driven by the increase of arable 

 to the cheaper lands of Northern Caucasus. 8 More attention has 

 recently been given to the production of bacon, of which certain 

 quantities have been exported, 9 and this trade, if resumed later, 

 may have the effect of increasing the numbers of pigs, though there 

 was apparently a decline in these animals in the years prior to 1914. 



An important industry in the grain-growing district of Russia 

 is the production of poultry and eggs of which large quantities have 



1 Report of British Consul at Moscow for the year 1910, p. 8. " The year 

 1909 was especially rich in examples of all sorts of co-operative work in 

 connection with agriculture." 



2 See American Economic Review, March, 1916, p. 68. Review of book, 

 Bauernfrage and Agrarrsform in Russland." 



8 According to the latest available estimates, Russia, Roumania, Bulgaria 

 and Hungary together had about 46 million cattle, about 67 million sheep, and 

 about 21 million pigs. 



4 Some of the cattle are kept for draught purposes, and the distinction 

 between sheep and goats is not always precisely made, at any rate, in Russia. 



5 Mavor, Economic History of Russia, Vol. II., p. 284. 



6 Bonmariage, La Russie d' Europe, p. 517. 



7 Ibid., p. 517. 



8 Mavor, op. cit.. Vol. II., p. 284. 



9 Report of the British Consul at Moscow for the year 1912, p. 8. The chief 

 centre in European Russia is Tambov. The Russian exports of pig-meat in 

 1912 amounted to 12,788 tons, some of which was probably of Siberian 

 origin. 



See also Statistical Journal, Mar., 1917, pp. 194, 195., in an article dealing 

 with the Economic Resources of Russia by Baron Heyking. 



