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conditions as regard the quantity of atmospheric water may only be taken 

 in hand by the government or some other large administrative unit. 



An increase in the qnantity of atmospheric water however improbable 

 it may seem, is quite possible, if the humidity of the air in a given 

 dictrict increases: for we know that the more the air of that district is 

 saturated with water vapour, the more abundant the fall of deposits. An 

 increase in the quantity of water vapour in the air is possible when there 

 is increased evaporation on a more or less wide areas of a given district; 

 and this latter may be possible, by opening up here wide water expanses 

 for the steppe — ponds for instance or by increasing the quantity of plants 

 which exhale a great deal of water, such as trees. The making of 

 ponds in the steppe valleys although not presenting any great difficul- 

 ties and might be made even profitable by the artificial breeding of fish 

 theirein. does not guarantee a favourable solution to the problem; for two 

 dry years in succession are capable to destroy even well made ponds. 



The preservation of the existing waters and the raising of new 

 ones upon the ground surfaces can only be undertaken by government, as 

 it is not a suitable thing for private initiative. 



A much greater chance of success is offered in the increase of ar- 

 borial plants on fields. I do not speak of making forests on the steppe, like 

 our steppe experimental schools of forestry did; but of planting trees rather 

 of a garden than of a forest character, on large steppe areas or even on 

 whole steppe expanses, of planting the boundaries between fields, along 

 paths and generally on all boundary areas not utilized now. At the pre- 

 sent time, with developement of our farm culture, tree planting is the 

 most urgent need of these farms. And the preservation of the young sa- 

 plings is now much facilitated here, in comparison with the peasants 

 fields in settlements. If mulberry trees were used for that purpose, it would 

 raise our silk- worm breeding which has thriven now, thanks to the easier 

 method of dealing with the cocoons, but held back by the absence of 

 mulberry trees, which have not been cultivated by our foresties in pro- 

 portion to the demands. Such single or double rowed tree planting, dra- 

 wing up water from deep soil horizons not accessible to field plants, could 

 screen off the wind, which blows with double force, on our bare steppes, 

 compared with western Europe throughout the whole year, bringing up 

 the speed to 14 metres per second sometimes for whole weeks. 



The again tree planting on the steppe will serve as the strongest 

 barrier against injurious insects, as the greatest mass of them do not 

 rise in their flight highe .han the average height of trees. From injurious 

 insects especially the hessian and sweedish Hies, then the sawer, and the 

 winter corn worm, millions of poods are absolutely lost every year. It is 

 impossible on the steppe to adopte any remedy against them, and the 



