Evening star., 1915-11-22

wheat, while other tracts, more scien-
tifcally handled, produce as much as
thirty-siX bushels to the acre. II Is
because of this fertility that the Dan
ubian states rank with Russia. Argen-
tina and the United States as the chleI
wheat-growing countries on the glope.
Crop failures occasion general ois-
tress, as Sc per cent of the popula.ioh
depend upon agriculture, and Rumaiiia
will continue to be subject to economic
depressions as long as she remains eA-
clusively dependent upon the wealth. OF
her harvests. Indian corn is one OF
the staples of her peasants tables.
Farmer Is Superstitious.
"The Rumanian farmer is quite su-
nerstitious, and, in his agricultural en-
deavor, makes use of a number OF signs
in which not only the moon, put all
nature takes part. Thus. when the spar
rows futter about, chrruping; when the
cattle show nervous restlessness and the
forest gives forth unusual sounds;
when the cock crows all day long, the
ducks thrash the ground with their
wings and the frogs croak necessarily;
when the mist rises, the sun sets In a
cloud and your ears itch, there surely
will be rain When, on the other mana,
the sparrows take a bath in the dust,
when stocks stand quietly in the neld'
the lambs gambol gayly and the cat,
after washing her face, looks at the
door, there will be fine weather. But
when the sparrowS are hurrylng ABOUT
looking for shelter; when the lark
dashes against the windows; when the
cattle below, looking up into the arr
and the pig goes about with a straw In
his snout, then a storm Is threatening.
1.-The Rumanian is not tradesrnan
Still he is an industrialist in his own
way, and almost everything about the
house is his own handiwork. The great
industrialist in the peasants home Is
the housewife. She takes a hand at
everything except loading the hay. She
takes the hemp and the fax from the
seed to the finished garment. and deems
herself fortunate If the husband plows
for her the ground. Spinning and
weaving are done by the women, and
the clothing worn by the family IS
tangible evidence of the housewives s
taste and industry. To wear store
made clothes, until recent times, was
token of Incidence or aWkWaroneSs
on the wife's part.
Military Service Compulsory.
pulsory All young men between the
ages of nineteen and twenty-one, unless
physically incapa citated, receive at home
or IN tne SClOOiS preliminary iullltdiy y
training. At twenty-one the active serv-
ice with the army begins with two years
drill in the infantry, followed by three
years in the other arms of the service.
The army is the country's pride, and the
roster of the standing army calls for
10000 men, armed with. Mannlicher
rifles. In war time this number could be
largely increased. The Rumanian navy
consists of a protected cruiser. few
patrol boats and some torpedo boats.
"Rumania's 120 senators are elected for
eight years and receive, while in session.
81 day. Eligibility consists in being
more than forty years of age and of hav-
ing an annual income of at least $1,800.
Her 1873 members of her chamber of depu-
ties are elected for four years.
"Salt deposits in Rumania cover an
enormous area and have a thickness
varying from 600 to 800 feet. There are,
also, vast oil fields in the land exporting
a product amounting to value of
IS, 600, 900 a year. The annual grain ex-
port amounts to nearly SOC, ,000, 900.
Rumania's natural trade route is the
Danube. and this is supplemented by 1888
miles of railroad. of which the govern
ment owns 2,100 miles. Elementary edu-
cation is free and compulsory, and an
illiterate peasantry is slowly being taught
to read and write