The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-10-02
81. Petersbu r. Letter.
(Rsuular
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, Sep,

ST. PETERSBURG, RuBSl0, sept. IL.
Russian Journalists appear to be just now
painfully exercised by the announcement tina,
two American steamers, laden with grain
have entered the port of Revel tor the pur
pose Of there dischargng their cargoes-a
circumstance hitherto without precedent in
the annals of Russian commerce. That Rus
STA would never need TO import cereals from
foreign countries has heretofore been n firmly
established article of popular faith through
out the Cars dominions, So rapid, however
has of late years been the falling-oif in pro
ducliveness exhibited in the agricultural dis
trcts OF the Empire that the seemingly I'M
possible has 1t length come to pass, and Nor
thern Russia is importing wheat from the
United States 1t is but justice to the Russian
press to acknowledge that 1t has been profuse
of warnings with respect to the probable con
sequences OF slovenly and uninteligent farm.
ing, persistence IN old fashioned and exploded
systems Of cultivation, reluctance to Invest
capital in modern agricultural Improvements,
absenteeism and other laches, which have
practically disqualified Russian grain growers
from competing for foreign custom with
their transatlantic rivals. But Russian boyars
and peasant farmers alike were so immutably
possessed by the convection that Russia was
the predestined granary Of Europe that they
calmly ignored these salutary monitions.-
They are now stricken with amazemcnt and
CONSERVATION by proof positive, such as is
afforded by the importation of American grain
into Revcl, that the cereal yields of Northern
and Central Russia no longer suffice to meet
the consumptive requirements of the native
population. Germany, too, Is giving to Amer.
| lea the preference over Russia for what grain
she finds it necessary to import from abroad,
on the reasonable grounds that the American
wheat Is at once cheaper and Of better qaallty
than the Russian On the whole, Russian
agriculture is just now at au extremely low
ebb, and It's future promises to prove even
goomier than It's present.
Western Russia has of late been visited by
hail and wind storms of extraordinary vchc-
mence and fury. The country seat OF Captain
Jacob Erdelly, Il wealthy landowner OF Jelna,
was entirely wrecked by tins tremendous
Storm His doors and windows were blown
in his furniture dashed against the wall with
such violence that the greater part of it was
shattered to pieces, and even his cook-an un-
commonly powerful middle.aged female-was
caught up by whirlwind whilst attempting
to cross the courtyard, and carried through
the air at height Of some thirty feet to dis
lance of over three hundred yards from the
house, her aerial course being finally arrested
by the branches Of sturdy oak, TO which she
desperately clung! When rescued from that
bad eminence" she was found to be insensl-
BILE; nor did she recover for forty-elght hours
from the deathllke swoon into which she had
been plunged by sheer fright. Her appalling
adventure, however, was not utterly forlorn Of
the comic element for 1t appears that several
Of Captain Erdelly's farm laborers, witnesses
of her swift transit through air, jumped to the
conclusion that she must be a celestial mes
senger sent to warn them that the end of all
things was nigh, and made no attempt to fol
low her to her goal, on the broad principle
that saints must not be meddled with whilst
flying"