The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-22


The Vo,ga. which drains the basin Of
the Caspian sea, is the largest river in
Europe and Is navigahle for 500 miles.
The Dnieper. Russia's second longest
river drains a territory as large as
France and empties into the Black sea.
The DON it's third longest river, flows
into the sea of Azov and is one OF the
great waterways for the transport of
grain. The Visual. the Western
Dvina and the Niemen are tributaries
'of the Baltic and the Plethora, the
Northern Dvina and the Omega are the
great streams of the Northern Arctic
basin.
Naturally Russia presents diver
sity Of climate, ranging from the long,
cold winters of the Arctic regions to a
temperature in its southern territory
similar to The northern ATTITUDES Of
Italy. Petrograd has mean tempera-
ture in winter Of about Is degrees
Fahrenheit and In summer Of about
"a degrees Odessa, in the south, has
a temperature similar to that of the
New England states. In the greater
part of Russia. however the winters
are usually long and severe and the
summers. like those Of Canada, short
and sultry.
T. A Land Of Farmers.
Russia is one Of the richest mineral
countries in Europe. Gold silver, plati-
mum, iron, copper zinc salt, coal and
mineral oils are It's principal mineral
products. 1t is, and will perphaps al
ways remain, prominently an agri-
cultural land. 1t has about 900 orc. 900
acres of cultivablo lands. 5000, 900
acres OF which consist OF the rich black
lands which produce the finest wheat
in the world. AS there are only about
20 inhabitants to the square mile OF
land, only about 100000 600 acres of
land are usually kept under cultiva-
ton and most primitive methods. al
though of late years American meth
DDS and American machinery are max
ing extensive Roadway. Agricultural
development has been greatly hndered
by the system Of land tenure and the
lack of governmental cooperation, but
in spite of it's dra wbacks Russia pro-
duces about two-third OF the oats and
half the rye of Europe and more bar
ley and wheat than any other country
except the United States, and In some
years it has even surpassed the United
States in these products.
OF late years Russia has forged rap
idly to the front as producer OF live.
stock and 1t easily SURPRISES every
other European country in its livestock
interests. Nearly half the horses OF
the continent are raised in Ruusia-ol
We're prior to the war. 1t leads all
other European countries in cattle
sheep and goats and is only inferior
, to Germany in the number Of hogs. Ir
addition to supplying its home dema nc
Russia exports nearly 1000. 00t
worth of livestock annually.
Manufacturers have developed won
derfully under the protective system
adopted by the government. Foreign
capital has been largely invested II
these enterprises and most OF thu
skilled labor. and modern machiner.
employed comes also from foreigl
countries. The number OF factories an,
workshops under government instruc
ton in 1913 exceeded 1886, and tn
number OF hands employed 2.l5l,191
with total product valued at 1,451,
$4,000 rubles. The output OF the tex
tile industries is the greatest. Russi
now has 1877 cotton factories, wit
s.ss7,9ll spindles. a capital investe
Of $192,60S.000, and an output sur
passed only by those Of Great Britai
and the United States.
The estimated population OF the en-
pire in 1912 was III .os5. 200. The "Tr,l
Russians constitutes about tire,
fourths of the population OF Europea
Russia, the rest being made up
{ Lithuanians, Poles, Jews, Firms, Turc'