Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-07-07
AGRICULTURE In RUSSIA.
A VAST COUNTRY DEPENDENT
ON HER NATURAL RICHES.

DiStricrS, Leaving the North, Where
the Soil is Poor. to the Factories.
Russia is and always must be chiefly
dependent on her natural richness SO
long as criminal improyidence and
reckless housekeeping have not wholly
exhausted them, and among these the
direct produce of the soil and the agri-
| culturists' labor would be almost mex
haustible were the money employed in
creating artificial branches of national
I income used in introducing and teach
ing the peasantry improved methods
| of cultivation, in preventing the i'm
! poverishment of the soil, or rather in
retaining it, for the irnpoverishment
| is an accomplished fact, and in effect
ing the Irrigation and canalization
| which the destruction of the forests
has rendered necessary by causing
countless springs and small lakes to
| dry up. Such at least must be the
programme for the centre and south,
leaving factories for the north, where
the best that can be done with the soil
is to coax from it crops sufficient to
years end
In the last quarter of century Rus
sian industry has Increased fourfold.
While in 1877 the total sum of manu-
featuring industry hardly reached 540,-
100000 it had in 1897 mounted to
1900 100000, and now, in 1891, it has
attained and may soon pass the two
millaird mark Some branches have
Increased twenty-five fold; $4,000 900
worth of steel was made in 1897, while
1877 had only 100000 worth to show
There is no doubt that Russian in
dustry has taken abnorlnally gigantic
strides. But how is it meanwhile with
farming? 1t is at standstill, to say
the worst. The destruction of forests
for fuel and for railway sleepers has
denuded Central Russia. Hand in
hand with this destruction, droughts
are getting to be chronic evil, and
so are famines. At the same time the
rapid increase of population makes the
land allotments more and more INSULT
cient, and the country people, growing
poorer and poorer, stop buying things
Under such conditions most of the I'M
6ertakings rest all their hopes on gov
vernment orders and fail if orders are
not forthcoming in time.
And still we push on, and on; still
we go on promoting" and floating"
new companies, draining the countrys
savings where there are any left, and
when these give out calling in foreign
capital The result is production out
running demand, and when that is the
case only one end is possible.
There is no need to dwell on the rev.
olution effected in the rural economy
of the country by the transition from
serf labor to hired labor, for Americans
at least southerners- lave gone
through much the same experience
during the same years, 100. There is
this difference that Russian landlords
were compelled to give UP the largest
part of their lands and received the
price of them in a lurlp. 1t would
seem at first sight as though, being
thus placed in possession of a hand
some capital, cash down, they had
chance to start farming on their great
ly restricted domains on broad, ra-
tional principles and according to the
most up-to-date methods That is
theory. Practically, it was the last
thing they could have done.
Most of the estates lay under heavy
mortgages, the amount CT which being
deducted from the redemption pay
ments left the owners in many cases
but slender cash residue. Then
and that was the worst of the situation
most of them knew very little about
farming and less about management,
thrift and business generally The
money somehow slipped through their
fingers and they were left with lands
which, to only too many, were more
nindrance than a means of support.
Many began to sell their lands piece
meal-to village communes, to wealthy
shopkeepers to individual peasants, of
the genus known as fists" (usurers,
buyers of anything and everything
that promises sure profit, making,
of course, disastrous bargains. Some
rented to farmers for money or on
shares 1.-THE latter arran cement gener
ally proving unsatisfactory some
sent a bailiff to managed the estate,
collect the income, and send them as
much of it as he chose. A few braced
up for real work and went to live on
their estates, sensibly expecting to
learn as they went, and to gather the
prosperity which mother earth keeps
in store for those who do not hold
themselves above devoting their best
powers to the care of her.
What has been accomplished, under
untold difficulties, by these few, is
more than sufficient to SHOW what inn
mense results might be achieved if
what is now the exception became the
rule. Unfortunately, such a course re- !
quires, first of all, some of the very
qualities in which the average Russian
character is conspicuously defcient-a
stubborn will, great perseverance and |
contempt of obstacles, patience under |
rebuffs, and under the thousand and
one worries born of misdireeted con-
servatism in some quarters and the
wholesale ignorance of tne masses. |
All these things have to be fought and
conquered, and that they can be con-
auered, slowly it is true. and by bits, |
the few who hold out are showing.
The average Russian, generous and |
well-meaning, takes hold enthusiastic /
eally. works resolutely for time, but |
is quickly discouraged. Stolidity, i'll |
win, lack of comprehension, wound |
him most of all, lame him, and he goes
away. Few. indeed, are content to
plough and SOW and tend the crop |
which they cannot live to harvest. !
But there are SUCH Ragozin, in the |
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