Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1303

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
There was a problem when proofreading this page.
PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY
947

Number of male peasants who redeemed the land with State help Number of acres redeemed Value of the land, in roubles . Average price of the allotment Average size of allotment, in acres Average price of the acre Average former debt of the landowner to the State mortgage bank, per allotment Average sum paid to the landlord, per allotment ........ Russia Western Provs. 6,641,836 61,575,821 704,018,004 106r. Oc. 9-4 llr. 43c. 37r. 32c. 68r. 68c. 2,516,919 25,517,788 162,506,668 64r. 57c. 100 6r. 37c. 26r. 99c. 37r. 58c.

Moreover, 109,791 leaseholders redeemed their allotments (2,100,000 acres), for the sum of 24,349,890 roubles, in South Russia and the Western Provinces, according to the laws of 1868-88, which recognise private ownership of land.

In accordance with a new law, of December 26, 1893, the peasants' allotments are recognised in European Russia proper (exclusive of Poland and the Baltic provinces), the property of the peasant communities, whether redeemed or not. They cannot be sold by the community otherwise than in virtue of a decision taken by a majority of two-thirds of the community: householders, approved by the Provincial Peasants' Institutions if under 500 roubles of value, and by the Ministers of Interior and Finance if above that value. The allotments redeemed individually by separate householders under previous laws, can be transmitted, or sold for redemption arrears, only to persons belonging to the peasant communities. The communities allotments can be mortgaged no more, even after redemption money having been paid in full. No separate householder can personally redeem his allotment without the approval of the mir.

In Central Russia 66 per cent. of the arable land is under crops; in South Russia 78 per cent.; in North and in South-east Russia 10 per cent.; and in Astrakhan only 8 per cent. In 1896, the areas under crops were:—

— 1 Acres European Russia Poland North Caucasia . Siberia^ .... Central Asia^ 170,253,400 10,284,650 9,459,440 8,402,000 2,495,800 Russian Empire^ . 200,895,290 1 Incorai)lete.

Crops.—The cereal crops of Russia (exclusive of Finland) for the last six years are seen from the following, in thousands of quarters for all sorts of grain, and in thousands of tons for potatoes:—