522 cattijE and dairy farming. 



Western group.— This group embra(5cs the $ix govermnents of MoLh 

 leff, Vitebsk, Vilna, Kovno, Grodno, and Minsk, lias an area of 300,470 

 square kilometers, and a population numbering 0,185,000. Spring and 

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

 vated. Horses numbered iji 1870 1,490,000, and receive considerable 

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

 which were fine- wooled breeds; swine, 1,. ".70,000; goats, 220,000. Forests 

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

 3,000,000 desiatines (ovei' 8,000,000 iu-ios). Distilling, brewing, and 

 sugar-making are carried on extensively in this group. 



Vistula fjroup.— Thin groii)) includes the former Kingdom of Poland. 

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

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

 grain-exporting one. IJorses 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 ibnnd in the report from Consul Rawicz, of 

 Warsaw. 



Southwestern Blaelcearlh group. — This grou]> incUuhis the three gov- 

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

 districts of Enssia both as to soil and climate. 



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

 tines were planted, producing 99,242,050 poods. 



In 1871 the horses in this grouj) numbered 800,000, having increased 

 80 per cent, in twenty years; cattle numbered .1,500,000, Iiaving 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, YekaterJnoslaff, 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 1870 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 mjlitates against these industries. 



Central Blaclcearth f/roup. — This group consists of the governments of 

 Toola, Eiasan, Orel, Koorsk, Voronesh, Tambroff, Pensa, Karkoff, Pol- 

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

 thrive in this group. 



Tlio 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 

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

 and Oi'el have the most, Toola and l.^ltava the least forest land. 



There are in this gronp 08 sugar-mills, whose annual production is 

 valued at 13,172,000 rubles; 745 distilleries, whoso 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.— Th\» group inclTides the govern- 

 ments of Kasan, Simbirsk, Saratoft", Samara, Oufa, Orenburg, and As- 

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

 fruitfulness is affected by the salt y character of the earth. 



