We have seen that most of the wheat is produced in the region of black soils in 

 Southern Russia. On the map is shown (shaded with black lines) the region 

 exporting wheat abroad or to other parts of the country. The following table (IV) 

 gives the figures of transportation of wheat on the railroads from the region producing 

 an excess of wheat to other parts of the country and abroad : 



Table IV. 

 Year For Domestic Consumption For Export 



Thousands of Poods 



1895. 47,546 109,229 



1900 80,097 59,015 



1905 87,205 147,686 



1909 115,804 248,129 



In addition to the railways, the rivers form an important means of transportation, 

 connected as they are by a system of canals, for example, the Volga River is connected 

 with Petrograd. We are sorry not to be able to give you any figures concerning this 

 means of transportation. On the railroads the grain is transported in sacks; on the 

 rivers, in bulk in large barges (200 to 280 feet in length on the Volga) towed by steamers. 



Methods of Growing Wheat 



Table III shows that about two-thirds of the wheat produced in European Russia is 

 spring wheat. %The methods of its culture are different in different parts. The best 

 varieties of durum wheat are produced, up to the present time, on the lands which 

 periodically are left for several years (5 to 15) for pastures and prairies, after having 

 produced four or five different crops (wheat or flax, rye, oats, buckwheat). However, 

 this kind of system is becoming more and more rare and can be found practically only 

 in the extreme eastern parts of the region of black soils. As a rule the spring wheat is 

 grown in the regular rotation of three years (fallows, rye, spring crops, such as wheat, 

 oats, barley). The use of the farm manure is not yet general on the black soils, but 

 its use is growing. There is no doubt that many virgin black soils are so rich in organic 

 matter and nitrates that the use of manure is even harmful, especially in the dry years, 

 causing the "burning" of the crop because of the excess of salts in the soil moisture. 

 Experiments show that phosphates (acid phosphate, Thomas slag) give usually very 

 good results on black soils, but its use in this region is only in the experimental stage. 

 Practically, fertilizers are used on a large scale only in southwestern and western 

 Russia for sugar beets. 



The methods of tillage for spring wheat are usually very simple. In the "steppes" 

 (prairies) of southern and southeastern Russia, the virgin soil is ploughed in the fall to 

 a depth of six to nine inches, harrowed in the spring, and the sown seed is harrowed 

 again. 



Even now, in eastern and southern provinces, primitive ploughs ("Sabans") with a 

 large flat iron share and wooden board, are used for the first deep ploughing, but this kind 

 of an implement is becoming more and more exceptional, giving place to the modern 

 ploughs of different kinds. 



In the regular three year rotation (see above) the field, after rye, is usually ploughed 

 in the fall to the full depth of five to seven inches, harrowed in the early spring, some- 

 times ploughed again, but shallow — four to five inches, and the sown seeds of wheat are 

 harrowed or disced. The manuring, if any, always takes place in fallow, once for six 

 or nine years, because of the lack of manure. In this case the spring wheat follows the 

 manured rye. 



• The winter wheat is cultivated principally in western and southwestern provinces 

 and in Caucasus. In the western par£ of Russia the methods of agriculture are more 

 intensive and careful than in the East. The fallow preceding the wheat is always 

 well manured. The peasants usually begin to plough the fallow late, at the end of June, 

 but good farmers try to plough it for the first time in April or May, harrow several times 



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