Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-06-01
FARMING IN RUSSIA.
How the Ignorant PeasaDtry Is Kept In
Complete Subsection.

1
Complete Subsection.
Peasant life in Russia presents An
interesting study. In the rural portion
of the country is found quite three
fourths of the entire population. st.
Petersburg and Moscow being the prin-
| cipal cities. and therefore the bone and
sinew is with this class of people.
Only about five per cent. of the peas
ants can read and write. They have
been a free people scarcely longer than
the blacks in America. The land which
they occupied was the property of the
nobility. and none were permitted,
when once located on farm. to leave
it permanently or to go beyond Ger.
tain distance even temporarily.
No schools were provided for the
peasants during the time of slavery;
none are provided now. Their earn
ings on the farms are gagged by the
landlords so that they have just enough
on which to live.
A peasants house is a very rude
structure. His allowance of furniture,
food and clothing being fixed by his
landlord, he lives scantily. The build
ing is usually of pine or cedar logs
about ten inches in diameter. barked
and set neatly together 1t is of one
story in height, with one room; gencr-
ally has three or four windows. with
one sash in each. The floors are of
logs and earth, and the beds are on the
floor.
There are no stoves in a peasant
house. A stick-and-clay chimney fire.
place suffices. Here warmth is secured,
and the food is cooked in kettles. The
family meal is spread on the floor. and
the repast is partaken of while sitting
on folded legs, tailor style.
The peasants grindstone is a huge
affair, is turned by one man, while
another. sitting on a frame above it,
manipulates the implement A crude
little furnace heated with peat" or
pine chips and the grindstone COM
prise the manufacturing appliances of
the peasant. His pillow is simple pole
with handles on dead level with the
tongue. which has an offshoot down.
ward, on which the share is nailed or
tied.
The Russian in no walk of life has
yet learned the philosophy of direct
draught from the collar of the horse.
All vehicles are drawn by the shafts
and tongues, and these are fastened to
the high hame or bow, which in turn is
fastened to the collar. There are no
such things as trace straps or chains.
Carriages are thus drawn.
The women in Russia do two-thirds
OF the work in the country. There are
immense wheat, oat and hay fields
everywhere, and in August there is
great activity in the country. The
large majority of persons at work are
women. They wear short dresses.
plain and straight, and a large piece of
cloth over their heads, like the Arabs.
The wheat is sown broadcast, and il
not cut by the women with sickles, is
harvested with the old-fashioned scythe.
which has two-pound snead and a
broad. short blade. From the snead up
to the handle there is a wooden bow
something like, iii appearance. the half
OF a heavy barrel hoop. This bow
Keeps the wheat. ETC., from falling
back over the scythe-handle and scat
tering. l have never yet seen man
who would deign to gather up, bind
and stack the wheat or oats when once
it was felled.
A Russian harvesting rendezvous is
quite lively, and is the scene of Il mot
ley crowd. The old men and young,
boys and girls. with their mothers,
grandmothers and aged women, as
semble at daybreak. The horses the
boys and men ride. while the old
women walk. Nationa, Labor Tribune.