The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-04
Russinn Rurai Life.

The following illustration of rural life
! in Russia has interest NJ this luncturc:
4 Nearly whole of the female population
and about Ono.hnlf of tho male inhabl-
/ tants are hahitually engaged IA cultlVai-
/ ing the communal land which cornlsfiiss'
about ., 600 acres of light, SANDY t0dl.
The arabic part ot this land is divided
I into three large fields. each OF which is
cnt up into long narrow strips, The
! first field is reserved for the winter grain
that is to say, rye, which forms, IN the
shape of black bread. the principal food
/ uf the peasautry. In the second are
raised oats for the horscs, and buck
wheat, which is largely used for food.
| The third lies iallow, and ~ used III the
summer as pastumgc for tho cattle.
| All the villagers in this part Of the
country divide the arabic land IN this
WAY, in order to suit the triennial rota-
/ ton OF crops. This tTionnial syHiom -
extremely simple. The field which is
/ used this year for raising winter gram
viii be used next year for raising sum
mer grain, and IN tho following year
will lie fallow. Before being sown with
winter grain, Il ought % receive "A Ger
/ tain amount Of manure. Every family
possesses in each of the two fields under
cultivation one or more oi the long mar
row strips or belts into which they are
Z divided.
On st. Georges DAY May ~ the oat
tie are brought out for the first time.
and sprinkled with holy water by the
priest. The cattle of the Russian
peasantry are never very fat, but at this
period of the wear their appearance rs
truly lamentable. During the winter
they have been cooped M m small
unyrntilated COW houses, and fod almost
exclusively ON straw; now, wllen they
are released from their imprisonment,
they look like tho ghost Of their former
emAciAtcd selves. All are lean and weak,
many are lame, and some cannot rise h.
their feet without assistance. AtenIh
while the peasants are impatient 30 begin
the field labor. An old pruvcrb, which
they all know, says: Sow IN mud,
and YOU viii be "a prince, and they
always act IN accordance with uns Tic
tate Of traditional wisdom. As soon as
il is possible 10 plough they begin 10
prepare the land for the summer gram,
and tins labor occupies them probably
10 the end Of May. Then comes the
work OF carting out manure, and pre-
pairing the tallow field for the winter
grain, which will last probably tll about
ST. Peters Day duly, when the hay
making generally begins.
The annual life Of the peasantry u
that Of simple husbandmen, inhAbiung
a country where the winter Is long and
severe. The agricultural year begins III
April with the melting II the snow. Ma
turc has been lying dormant for some
months; awaking now from her long
sleep, and throwing od her white man
tie. she strives 10 make up for lost time.
No sooner has the snow disappeared
than the fresh young grass begins 10
shoot mp, and very soon afterwaFd the
shrubs and trees begin to bud. The
rapidity Of this transition from winter 10
spring astonishcs the inhabitants Of the
more temperate climcs.
After the hAymaking comes the haT-
vest, by far the busiest time Of the year.
From the end Of July. especially from
st. Eliiah's Day (Aug. u. When the
SAINT is usually heard rumbhug along
the heavens in his chariot II fire, until
the end of August, the peasant may work
day and night, and yet he will find that
he has barely time 10 get all his work
done. In little more than a month he
has 20 reap and stack his grain-rye.
oats, and whatever else he may have
sown, either IN spring or III the preced-
ing autumn--and a. SOW the winter grain
for next year. To aid 10 has troubles,
il sometimes happens that the rye and
the oats ripen almost simultaneously.
and his position is still more difficult
than usual.
Whether the seasons favor him ornot,
the peasant has at this time a hard task,
for he can rarely afford 10 hire the
requisite number 81 lAbOrcrs, aud has
generally the assistance merely az his
wife and family but he can at this sea
son work for short time Al high press
ure, for be has the prospect Of soon ob.
tanning a good rest and al abundance Of
food. About the beginning of October
the deld labor n finished, aud on Octo-
Der Is list, old style the harvest festi-
val begins Joyous season, during
which the parish fctes are commonly
celebrated. - IaNdrs's Russia.