The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-11-02


n of the great events in the peas
ants life. Weeks before the
corn is ripe enough for cutting
the bailiff goes around the villages on
the estate and collects the extra hands
needed for the work. Reaping ma
chimes are now used all over the coun-
try, but as there are many small woods
ard clumps of trees interspersed
among wheatfields in the South, one
often sees women with slckles finish
Ing off difficult corners, says writer
In Country Life. They make pretty
picture in their bright dresses against
the high golden wheat, with the dark
woods in the background.
Women predominate in agricultural
life in Russia and are great workers
Their babies are kept in the village
creches, and looked after by others
till the mothers return ut night. Some
times the mothers take them in the
fields. The women usually begin work
about 8 a. m. and go on till twelve
O'Clock without stop, when the mid
day meal is served. This is taken sit
ting on the ground. 1t generally con.
sists Of thick potato soup, or perhaps
borstock (sOup made with beetroOts),
"casha" (a brown grain boiled in the
same way as rice), raw herring,
and huge piece of black bread. Each
peasant carries her own wooden spoon
In her pocket, or tucked away in one of
her high boots.
Water is served from barrel, which
goes from field to field, drawn by
donkey. The oxen are magnificent
creatures, and IL Is nothing exceptional
to see between thirty and forty pairs
of them Mt work the same day. Horses
are rarely used i'm the fields.
Between 4 p. IN. and p. m. an en-
ormous samovar, Ga special kind of urn
heated by charcoaD is brought out,
and boiling weak tea, with two Jumps
of sugar at least, is served to the work
ers in tin mugs. The men, of course,
used to drink vodka, but now it is
stopped, and happily so, for 1t is just
about the strongest drink that exists.
The tea hour being only short re-
spite, work is resumed with vlgOr and
continued up till six or nine o'clock,
according to the weather. But, eX-
cept for terrific thunderstorm Occa-
sionally, it rarely rains at this time.
Fond of Fresh Fish.
Supper consists of practically the
same menu as that which is eaten at
midday, baked or boiled potatoes being
generally substituted for the "casha,"
and sometimes pond carp, crayfish and
perch, fried. All the meals are cooked
outside. An oven and fireplaces made
of clay and bricks are built in sort
of trench in a central spot, and here
you see only men cooking.
Fresh-water fish form a very impor.
tant addition TO the food supply in in
land Russia. AS there are hundreds
of miles Of marshy ground, great ponds
are made everywhere. The chief fish
stocked are carp, tench and craytish.
The streams and rivers give excellent
trout, but cray-fishing also affords good
sport as well as being considerable
industry. A dark night is chosen, If
possible, since In the moonlight the fish
are easily scared and retire to the mid
lie of the pond where it is impossible
to catch them. The fishers are armed
with strong nets about the size of a
washing basin, but deeper and weight
ed, which are attached TO long poles.
Approaching the pond as cautiously as
possible, the nets are dropped in aud
allowed to sink to the bottom. Then
ayervona SITS and waits In silence hut
smoking furlously TO keep away the
mosquitoes, which are both large and
venomOus. Then men appear on the
scene suddenly, hourishng large
torches over the surface Of the water,
and tile craytish retreating, walk into
the nets, which have TO be cleared and
dropped again very promptly