New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-05
FARMING BOOM IN RUSSIA
Stolypln's Move to Suppress
Socialism Aids Peasants.
IVAN PROGRESSIVE NOW
Asks Electric Light, Water
Supply and Sewers for
Small Towns.
[From The Tribune correspondsn,

lfrom The Tribune Correspondent.l
ST. Petersburg, Sept 23-Within recent
times great change has been wrought
In the method OF Russian agriculture. and
I this is chiefly responsible FOR the agricul-
tural boom now in progress in Russia.
The reform began during the recent
regime by NJ. Stolypin, whose purpose
was not so much land reform as to scotch
what he considered to be socialistic de-
mands among the Russian peasants.
Before the revision of the landlords by
NJ Stolypin the land lying around Rus
sian villages was divided among the viii
layers who cultivated ii. The division al
ways consisted OF separating the land into
long strips so narrow that often. especial
ly in Poland, there was no room to turn
plough around.
The strips would be perhaps from half
a mile TO even 4 mile long, but as rule
they were less than chain WIDE SO that
a farmer who wished to cultivate more
than one crop had TO plant his seeds In
one or two burrows. lying end on instead
OF side by side, and to add to the diff
cultics, the farmer often had to go as
much as seven miles from his home to
reach his mile.ong furrow, so that
days ploughng meant weeks camping
out. and, worse yet a peasant with the
average holding OF thirty acres would
have several strips in various parts OF the
village territory.
Primitive Farming System.
Ills method Of cultivation in these cir
cumstances might he summed up in the
phrase, when father turns We all turn
The crop decided on by the senior man
OF the village would have TO be sown by
all. and the sowing and reaping OF the
long, narrow patches were about as incon-
venent method OF farming as could be
figured out in long period Of serious
study.
A few years ago there arose group OF
reformers who advised cultivating all
the holdings as one and pooling profits.
NJ. Stolypin at once scented socialism
when this demand grew strong enough 10
be heard in St Petersburg and In order
to kill any such tendency he amended the
laws and customs OF the village holdings,
consolidating each peasants series OF
strips into one area OF rectangular or
other convenient shape.
The result has been that by giving the
Russian peasants more scope for inltia-
tive and reducing the amount OF toll, the
small farmer has been able TO cultivate
his land with moro care, and crops have
been Increased i'm many cases more than
- per cent.
In the Balkan Province. where the strip
system never existed and the standard OF
education and technique Is higher crops
hays always been much larger hitherto
Than In the black land in the centre,
which ranks with the richest farm lana
In the world. but this year. after only
short period OF cultivating under the
new regime inaugurated by NJ. Stolypn'
the black land is already rapidly over
taking the Baltic Province, and Russia
despite the number OF men taken from
the farms by the mobilization Of the army
during the Balkan war. is experiencing
what promises 10 be the greatest asri-
cultural boom the country has ever seen
This policy OF NJ. Stolypn has been
augmented by the transference OF the
ownership Of the village lands from the
community TO the peasant personally.
Bank to Aid Peasants.
As another step Peasant Land Bank
has been established This bank enables
the small farmer TO raise on mortgage
three-qliarters Of the value OF his land
and buildings.
In short, Ivan is becoming the yeoman,
and as he achieves some measure OF III
dependence. Russian agriculture Is BOOM
INK. He has done something that had
never entered the Russian peasants
mind as much as five years ago.
Small credit associations have been
formed by the peasants and managed
nv themselves. with a certain amount Of
government control. From these asso-
Citations the small farmer can obtain adj
yances on his crops before they are har-
vested, the transaction being merely ell
tered I'm the books OF the local society
which keeps a careful eye on the security
The main difficulty with the credit as
sociations at present is that their capital
Is small and they are obliged TO charge
higher rates Of interest than the farmer
can afford TO pay, higher rates than bust
ness really justiies; but the experiments
nave proved SO SuCCtSSlui oiii oc AS'i
full 10 agriculture that fresh capital is
coming into the credit associations, and
within a very few years they VIII PROB
ably be running on sound basis.
Another form OF enterprise carried on
by the credit associations is the estap-
lishment OF cooperative stores. This Is
doing away with the oldtime long jour
neys from the Isolated village to the mar
ket town and is thus allowing the farmer
more time for the management OF his al
fairs and the cultivation of his crops.
The new idea in farming, with the de-
velopment OF railways. has led to the rise
Of numerous small towns. which, Ike
those In the Western cities OF America,
are now demanding electric light gas
water, sewers and the other amenities OF
civilization, and the railway development
has also made practicable as an educative
factor abe establishment by the govern
ment OF model experimental farms. which
train the peasants in scientific farming
so that, altogether the reforms instituted
by NJ. Stolypin In order 10 Kill socialism
have proved among the greatest adyan-
tages the Russian peasant has ever
known.