REPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN. 



527 



YIELD OF FIELD CKOPS W RUSSIA. 



The following data in relation to the yield of some of the principal 

 field crops in Russia are taken from a report on " The Year 1883 in its 

 Relation to Rural Economy," recently published by the Russian Gov- 

 ernment. Id the tables which follow, the rate of produce per desiatine 

 is expressed for the cereals and potatoes in chetverts, and for sugar 

 beets in berkovets, the desiatine being an area equal to 2.S6 a^res,* the 

 chetvert a measure equal to very nearly six Winchester bushels (more 

 precisely 5.956), and the berkovet of ten poods a weight equivalent to 

 301.13 pounds avoirdupois. 



The most general division noted in the tables is that which distin- 

 guishes the Blackearth region from other portions of European Russia. 

 This region extends in a broad belt across the southern part of the 

 country from the Roumanian and Austrian fiontiers to the eastern 

 boundary, embracing the alluvial valleys of the great rivers which flow 

 into the Black Sea, the Sea of Azof, and the Caspian, and extending 

 farthest to the northward in the valley of the Volga. In this Black- 

 earth region are embraced the districts which produce tbe largest quan- 

 tities of grain for exportation, including the great wheat-producing 

 governments of Podolia, Kiev, Yoronej, and Kursk. 



The largest average yield of winter wheat in the year 1883, as shown 

 by the figures given below, was in the governments of Tula,Orel, Riazan, 

 and Tambov in the northern portion of the Blackearth region, and out- 

 side of this region in the Baltic provinces (Livonia, Oourland, and Es- 

 thonia), the government of Pskov, east of Livonia, the government of 

 Kovno, south of Courland, the valley of the Vistula in Poland, and the 

 governments of Smolensk and Kaluga, southwest of Moscow. In these 

 governments the average was from six to nine chetverts per desiatine, 

 or from 12 J to 18J bushels per acre, the latter being the average for 

 Livonia and Pskov. These figures relate to the yield on the lands of 

 the larger proprietors, those of the peasants, as will be seen by the table, 

 being in general considerably less productive. In the other govern- 

 ments for which an average is given it ranges from 11J bushels in Kiev, 

 Vorbnej, Vitebsk, and Mohilev down to 3J bushels in Ekaterinoslav, 

 and on peasants' lands still lower, the average on such lands in the 

 last-named government being as low as 2.1 bushels per acre. 



For spring wheat the highest averages of the Blackearth region are 

 in the governments of Tambov (northern division), and Kazan, Simbirsk, 

 Samara, Ufa, and Saratov (eastern and southeastern divisiou). In the 

 non-Blackearth region the highest averages are in the Baltic provinces, 

 the adjoining government of Kovno, and the governments of Smolensk, 

 Novgorod, Jaroslav, and Vologda. In all of these governments the 

 average is 12 J bushels per acre or more, the highest being 16§ bushels 

 in Livonia. The lowest average is 6J bushels on proprietors' land and 

 5J on peasants' land, these being the respective rates of yield on these 

 two classes of land in Ekaterinoslav and Taurida, while in Volhynia the 

 rate is GJ bushels on both classes of land alike. In other provinces the 

 figures lie between the extremes just given. 



The averages for winter rye range from 18j down to a little more than 

 3J bushels on proprietors' land, and from 15.J down to 2.} on peasants' 

 land. The yield of this gram for the year was generally good, except 

 in the eastern and southeastern division of the Blackearth region, and 

 in Volhynia in the western part of the same region. Elsewhere the 

 average for proprietors' land ranges between 8J and 18J bushels, the 



*Prof, Fi Wi Clarke makes the desiatine 2.6997 acres, 



