The Shasta courier., 1866-12-22
The Productive Force Of Russia.

The Productive Force Of Russia.
| Whilst Russia holds so prominent a posi
ton in the political and national history of
the present day, it is strange that we are not
more familiar with its productive force
We are not aware of its immense geograpbi.
cal outlines, and day by day receive intel.
ligence of its march of empire in Asia. add
ing to its already extensive domain terrific.
ries which cannot but extend its power
Grasping the Pacific and the Arctic Oceans
on the north and east, the Baltic on the
west, and the Black and Caspian Seas on
the South, she but awaits the fall of the
" sick man of Europe" to plan, her banner
on the Mediterranean, and thas occupy the
greater portion of the terrestrial globe
With such an expanse, her productive forces
must exceed those of any other nation, and
as intelligence becomes more diffused, we can
see no reason why Russia should not become
the greatest of 'nationalities. Destiny points
that her career shall be onward and upward.
Russia is well timbered. and although its
vast territory is marked by steppes, the
quantity of arabic land available exceeds
belief. Its products in the northern
provinces are rye, oats, barley and flax; in
the central provinces, including Poland
wheat and all the other cereals, vegetables,
hemp and flax; in the southern provinces,
wheat, wine, silk, oleaginous grains, tobacco
and medicinal plants. Rye is cultivated with
success to the 9th degree of north latitude,
and wheat to the Goth. The fruits of the
garden are found in abundance in the GEN.
trail and southern portions. and it is we'll
known that the ports on the Black Sea are
the grain marts of Europe. The extent of
arabic land in cultivation has been variously
estimated from 250,000.O 900 to 600. .0OO. 900
of acres, of which it is supposed 200, ,000,0 900
to $50, 900 900 of acres are occupied solely
in the cultivation of cereals, the yield of
which must be enormous, when it is taken
into consideration the amount consumed and
the amount exported. The estimated Weld of
wheat is 26 bushels per acre. Statisticians
assert that Russias production of cereals is
to that of France nearly 10 to 2; to that of
Austria 20 to I, and to that of Prussia 10 to
l. Russia, in some respects, resembles Cal
ifornia in regard to soil, for in those pro.
vinces where the culture of cereals is most
extensively carried on, the soil is generally
of great natural fertility. the land rarely
needing manure. 1t needs but an advance
in the science of cultivation to make Russia
the granary Of the whole world The Cos
sack country is one of remarkable fertility.
|
the cultivation of rye is the most extensively
diffused barley, oats and buckwheat are
cultivated in abundance whilst corn flour.
ishes in the southern provinces, and rice
acclimates in the Caucasus. The notato and
beet-root flourish, hut the peasant has not
yet overcome his repugnance to the former.
although the prejudice held in the eastern
and southern provinces is fast wearing away
The beet is cultivated successfully, and is
| used to manufacture sugar, which has be.
come an important industrial pursuit The
culture of the vine extends to the f1fty-ninth
degree north, but it fourishes most success
| fully in the Cossack country, Bessarabia,
| and adjoining districts of European Russia.
1t is but twenty five years since the vine was
cultivated, and an immense increase has
been the result. The wines of the trans
Caucasian provinces are consumed almost
entirely on the spot. very little being trans
ported. They are, with few EXCEPTIONS of
mddling quality, the best being heavy and
heating, owning to the nature of the soil and
careessness in culture and manufacture
The wines of the southern provinces of
European Russia are exported in considera
BILE quantities, the Crimea supplying St.
Petersburg. The wine of Kislear is report.
ed the BEST and always fgures at the fair of
Jul NUNRUEuus luc OTlIued dISU luTulSu-
es the best fruits and preserves, and the
principal olive plantations. The profits of
the apple trade are said to be enormous.
Next to wheat. the culture of oleaginous
grains and textile plants forms the great
agricultural interest of Russia. Flax is cul
tvated as well for its seed as its FIBRE
Hemp grows as far north as the Goth degree.
The best comes from the Ukraine and White
Russia, whilst it is found in wild state ON
the banks of the Volga, the Ural, and the
Terek. Rape and helianthus are cultivated
as oleaginous plants, and cotton grows in
the Caucasus. The expectation of hemp,
fax, fax.seed, duck and rope form great
| feature of Russia's commerce. The cultiva-
| ton of tobacco is restricted to certain To-
calities, and is progressing favorably.-
| Among the dyes, the madder is the princi.
pal, being found wild in the Caucasus,
although cultivated successfully elsewhere.
Liquorice, opium, mustard, anise and cum
min are among the medicinal plants found,
all of which command a market. The
forests are diversified in their character &C.
cording to climate. At the north, pines and
frs are thick, with, towards the coast, cedars,
larches, and birch intermixed, and as the
temperate region is reached, oak, elm, maple,
ash, lime, beech, etc., are found. The conn
try Is hnely tlmbered, having abundance for
use and expectation, for naval and building
construction. The Steppes of Southern
Russia are the only districts which are en-
tirely destitute of timber. In cattle, horses.
sheep and swine, etc., the country is wealthy,
possessing numerous breeds of its own
Much attention of late has been paid to the
improvement in sheep breeding and wool
raising. The finest breeds of ali cattle, etc.
are said to be found in Poland. The bee
acclimatizes up to very high latitude, no,
only in European Russia, but Siberia a. ana
their rearing is extensively carried on; Inc
religious ceremonies of the Greek church,
requiring large consumption of wax can,
dies, greatly favor this branch OF rural
economy, there being somewhere IN the
neighborhood of 10000 churches, creek
and Catholic, 10 Russia. Silk. worms are
reared in the Caucasus, Bessarabla, fodona
and other provinces, the cultivation OF the h
mnlberrv dating from the reign of Peter the
Great. The silk of the Caucasus is gener
ally Of inferior quality. The wealth OF
Russia in Europe and Siberia in peltrles,
fnrs | and fisheries is too proverbial for COM
ment. Ia minerals Russia produces gold,
silver. iron, copper. platina and lead, togeth,
er with salt, coal, naphtha, saitpetre and
natroleum. The most important gold mines
ara located in the Ural Mountains and
<ha 1offor haInu the n0at