522 CATTLE AND DAIRY FARMING. 



Western group. This group embraces the six governments of Mohi- 

 leff, Vitebsk, Vilna, Kovno, Grodno, and Min^c, has an area of 306,476 

 square kilometers, and a population numbering 6,185,000. Spring and 

 winter wheat, rye, barley, buckwheat, oats, potatoes, and flax are culti- 

 vated. Horses numbered in 1876 1,499,000, and receive considerable 

 attention. Cattle numbered 2,519,000; sheep, 2,042,000, 371,000 of 

 which were fine-wooled breeds ; swine, 1,570,000 5 goats, 220,000. Forests 

 have been greatly devastated, and have decreased in area more than 

 3,000,000 desiatines (over 8,000,000 acres). Distilling, brewing, and 

 sugar-making are carried on extensively in this group. 



Vistula group. This group includes the former Kingdom of Poland. 

 The consul-general was unable to give statistics of any account regard- 

 ing this group. Notwithstanding its dense population this group is a 

 grain-exporting one. Horses in 1870 numbered 754,000 ; cattle, 2,232,000 ; 

 sheep, 4,180,000; swine, 1,104,000, and goats 15,000. Forests have 

 been greatly devastated. Distilling, brewing, and sugar-making are, 

 as adjuncts to agriculture, extensively carried on. Statistics concern- 

 ing Polish cattle will be found in the report from Consul Eawicz, of 

 Warsaw. 



Southicestern Blackearth group. This group includes the three gov- 

 ernments of Kief, Podolia, and Volhynia, and is one of the most favored 

 districts of Russia both as to soil and climate. 



Beet roots play an important r61e in this group. About 115,957 desia- 

 tines were planted, producing 99,242,650 poods. 



In 1871 the horses in this group numbered 866,000, having increased 

 Sp per cent, in twenty years; cattle numbered 1,500,000, having de- 

 creased 11 per cent.; sheep, mostly native breeds, 2,420,000; swine, 

 1,258,000; goats, 85,000. 



Southern Steppe group. This group includes the governments of Bes- 

 sarabia, Cherson, Yekaterinoslaff, Taurida, and the Don Cossacks dis- 

 trict, which are more or less characterized by the word steppe. 



The greatest part of the grain production of this group is exported. 

 In 1876 the horses numbered 1,185,000; cattle, 3,427,000; sheep, 

 13,174,000, of which 7,097,000 were merinos; swine, 787,000; goats, 

 139,000. But little forest exists, and that little is neglected or wasted, 

 and has decreased 35 per cent, since 1840. 



Distilling, brewing, and sugar-making are carried on, though the lack 

 of fuel militates against these industries. 



Central Blackearth group. This group consists of the governments of 

 Toola, Eiasau,HJrel, Koorsk, Yoronesh, Tambroff, Pensa, Karkoff, Pol- 

 tava, and Tchernigoff. Cereals, fruit, and oleaginous and fibrous plants 

 thrive in this group. 



The proportionately small amount of grazing land in this group has 

 its influence on the breeding of domestic animals. Horses number 

 4,358,000; cattle, 4,137,000; sheep, 10,841,000, 1,537,000 of which are 

 merinos; swine, 3,057,000; goats, 141,100. Forests play an unimportant 

 r61e in this group, and have decreased 20 per cent. . Pensa, Tamboff, 

 and Orel have the most, Toola and Poltava the least forest land. 



There are in this group 68 sugar-mills, whose annual production is 

 valued at 13,172,000 rubles ; 745 distilleries, whose production is valued 

 at 80,355,200 rubles; 70 breweries, producing 1,242,700 rubles beer; 

 940 oil-mills, producing 2,159,400 rubles oil, and 47 tobacco works, pro- 

 ducing 3,304,000 rubles tobacco. 



Eastern and Southeastern group. This group includes the govern- 

 ments of Kasan, Simbirsk, Saratoff, Samara, Oufa, Orenburg, and As- 

 trakan. The soil of this group is fertile, except in Astrakan, where its 

 fruitfulness is affected by the salty character of the earth. 



