The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-18
HARVEST IN RUSSIA.

HARVEST IN RUSSIA.
The Musc0vite Peasants at Work in
the Fields.
[Pall Mall Gszette.l
A field stretching away for miles and
miles, without hedge, ditch or boundary
stone to relieve the sight offered by what
seems to be very ocean of waving corn
tinged with, red by millions of poppies.
A Jew is surveying this glorious crop,
and as he does so he turns to sniff the
breeze which is blowing gently from the
Black Sea, about thirty versts off; then
he lets his eye wander complacently down
steep road, up which long procession
of empty carts is toiling, The Jew is a
merchant from Odessa, who bought the
crops before him as far back as three
years ago from nobleman in difficulties;
and he is pleased by the sight of those
carts, because he knows now that he will
be able to get his wheat comfortably to
Odessa before the September rains set in.
The difficulty in Southern Russia is
not to rear wheat, but to get it shipped !;
so when the aged Benjudas was haggling
with Prince Nokine, the straitened noble
man above mentioned, about the pur-
chase of his harvests for three years, he
took care to mention that it would re-
quire more than hundred carts to
carry the wheat to Odessa, and that
after that there might be some trouble
about getting barn in which to store the
wheat until it could be shipped. In fact,
he described the purchase of the corn as
quite gambling speculation; and so it
often is. But not to dealers like Benju-
das. He never buys an acre of corn
without being quite sure about his carts,
his barn, his ship and his reapers; for, be-
hold! even as he stands surveying that
noble field at in the morning, on a
promising August day, hundred or 50
of Prince Nokines tenants come slouch-
ing out of their cottages with scythes and
sickles, while 2 more distant group, com
ing from the BARNES castle, appear push
ing before them q grand steam moving
machine.
Prince Nokine, like all Russian land
lords, invests largely in agricultural ma
chinery, as a child would in toys, if he
had the money; and it was part Of Ben
Judas contract that he should have the
princes machines at his disposal. Not
one Of the Russian peasants can work
them; but Benjudas has brought with
him couple of sharp German ship
stokers who know how to do everything
more or less, and who soon light the fire
under the engine and set the mower
snorting moving and cutting. Presently
this big machine is strewing the corn
around it as easily and gracefully as a
ships keel slices the sea and lays it out
in foam; and the Muscovite peasants,
marveling at the spectacle, rest idly on
their scythes and utter excamations of
delight. But Benjudas lifts both his
hands and calls on them to do their duty:
"You lazy swine, do you think it's for
this | give you each your ten kopecks a
day? There'll be no kwass for you by
and by if you don't bestir yourselves" :"
Now, kwass is very small beer which
the Russian peasants love. Prince No
kine's tenants set to with a will, and
soon there are no sounds heard but their
toilsome gasps mingling with the swish
ing noise of their blades as these sweep
through the corn in vigorous semi-circles.
Even women and children are at work
with sickles, and, as fast as sheaves can be
made up, little bands of tottering boys
and girls carry them to the carts, where
some sturdy louis pack them down tight
till each cart holds a pyramid, which is
covered with tarpaulin. Then the carts
set OFF, and old Benjudas, who has been
surveying all the operations, returns to
the field inwardly chuckling, but out
wardly moroae. He never shows his la
borers that he is pleased with them, else
they might be asking for more kwass. Of
this liquor each reaper gets as much as
can make him glad, but no more; and
Beniudas as he prowls about, notes every
sulker who, after doing less than his share
of work, would like to secure more than
his allowance Of beverage. Now then,
you hog, he of; few more of your sort
would ruin me. shan't employ you to-
morrow" These are the benisons which
Benjudas scatters about him as he stands
in the shadow of a roadside fr-tree, care
fully protecting his venerable head from
the suns rays.