504 



Export of Wheat from Siberia. 



available for export now amounts to over 18 million 

 bushels. 



The official estimates of the Central Statistical Committee 

 of the Ministry of the Interior relating to the area and pro- 

 duction of the principal cereals in Western Siberia in 1898 

 were as follows : — 



Acres. Quarters. 



Wheat - 4,527,400 6,367,600 



Rye .... 2,424,000 2,725,100 

 Oats ... - 2,873,500 6,102,000 



These figures represent the estimated production of the 

 entire western territory, which includes the Governments of 

 Yeneseisk, Irkhutsk, Tobolsk, and Tomsk, and the Steppe 

 Governments of Akmolinsk, Semipatalinsk, Semretchia, and 

 Turgai. 



In this territory a peculiar system of agriculture prevails, 

 known as the resting and fallow system, which is described 

 in some detail in a recent publication by the Philadelphia 

 Commercial Museum.* The land is sown two or three years 

 consecutively with grain and then left a year in fallow ; this 

 rotation is repeated until the severe falling-off in yield and the 

 choking with weeds compel the land to be abandoned to rest, 

 and a new patch to be broken up. The old land is allowed 

 to rest until definite signs, which are well known to the 

 peasants, show that its productiveness has been sufficiently 

 renewed, when it is again ploughed up and the same 

 process of sowing and fallowing is repeated. As a 

 general rule, in the beginning of the period of cultiva- 

 lion, and on the fallows, more exhausting grains are 

 sown, such as wheat, winter, and spring rye, but towards 

 the end of the period, and upon the stubble fields, such grains 

 as barley and oats. The system of manuring varies. In the 

 southern districts, where there is a fairly large amount of 

 arable land and few meadows, a part of the fallow field, equi- 

 valent to 1 or V, is manured, but further to the north, where 

 very little arable land is to be found, the whole fallow field is 

 manured. 



The harvesting of winter grain generally begins at the end 

 °f J u lY> that of spring at the beginning of August. The grain 



* Siberia, a Coming Market. 



