Productive Russia

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 November 1916, Page 3

Productive Russia

A recent report poijnts out that agriculture, forestry, cattle-raising and mining constitute the backbone oF ' Russia's economic system. Three-four-ths of the population is engaged in farming, and! Russia normally producesa larger exces of foodstuffs than any other country. The cereal crops for 1915, aggregated 73,587,052 tons, compared with 66,0-16,700 for 1914, of which the surplus over consumption requirements and available for export accounted to 23,823,000 tons, or practically one third of the total. There is an abundance of food in Russia, and the condition of the 1916 winter cereals is reported as favourable. In .1915 Russia produced 866,000,000 bushels of rye, 678,800,000 bushels of wheat, 129,900.000 bushels of barley and 182, 600,000 bushels of oats. Tn 1913 Russia produced 935,000.000 bushels of •wheat, or one-quarter more than the United States is that same year. Next to grain the most important crop is potatoes. In 1913 Russia produced 1,380,'100,000 bushels of potatoes. Other important Russian crops in 1913 were 1,662,797 tons of sugar and 248,472Tbs of tobacco. In 1911 Russia had 34, 534,932 horses, 51,622,417 cattle, 78. 931,476 sheep and goats, and 14,087, 802 hosrs. Tn 1913 Russia exported 90,065,0001b raw hides, valued, at about £3,500,000. In normal times Rur eia annually exports horses required for agricultural work in Germany and Tho Russian empire (including Siberia) has a. larger forest area than any othei nation, and thus is !i:n a position eventunllv to talk© tho leading place in the world's tfmber market.