The Economics of the Russian Village

by Isaac A. Hourwich

TABLE IV.—Distribution of Rented Land.

A.—Classification with regard to ownership of land.

Households.	D. of Korotoyak.					D. of Nizhnedevitsk.					In all.
	Tenants, per cent.		Rented land.			Tenants, per cent.		Rented land.			Rented for money rental, per cent.	Rented for share in crops, per cent.
			Per cent.		To one tenant (dessiatines).			Per cent.		To one tenant (dessiatines).
Landless	0.2	} 13.4	0.3	} 9.2	5.4	0.3	} 19.4	0.3	} 14.9	3.4	0.3	0.2
Owning under 5 dessiatines	13.2		8.9		2.8	19.1		14.6		3.0	11.6	12.8
” from 5 to 15 dessiatines	49.0		38.9		3.3	49.7		41.7		3.3	39.8	50.0
” from 15 to 25 dessiatines	26.1	} 37.6	27.5	} 51.9	4.5	22.0	} 30.9	24.6	} 43.4	4.4	26.1	26.4
” over 25 dessiatines	11.5		24.4		9.0	8.9		18.8		8.2	22.2	10.6
Total	100		100		4.2	100		100		3.9	100	100

B.—Classification with regard to stock-breeding.

Households.	D. of Korotoyak.				D. of Nizhnedevitsk.				In all.
	Tenants, per cent.	Rented land, per cent.	Tenants, percentage within the class.	Dessiatines to 1 tenant.	Tenants, per cent.	Rented land, per cent.	Tenants, percentage within the class.	To 1 tenant, dessiatines.	Rented for money rental, per cent.	Rented for share in crops, per cent.
Without horses	3.5	1.9	11.5	2.1	1.1	0.4	3.5	1.3	1.1	0.6
With 1 horse	28.4	16.5	37.9	2.3	21.4	10.6	28.8	2.1	13.3	16.4
” from 2 to 3 horses	54.1	46.7	49.6	3.4	63.0	50.3	54.9	3.4	48.0	59.5
” 4 or more horses	14.0	34.9	78.5	9.7	14.5	38.7	81.6	11.3	37.6	23.5
Total	100	100	43.0	3.9	100	100	41.9	4.2	100	100

TABLE V.
BUDGETS OF TYPICAL PEASANT HOUSEHOLDS.

Translated from the Statistical Reports for the District of Borisoglebsk, Gubernia of Tamboff (Appendix I., pp. 28-32, 88-97).[198]

I. Gabriel Michea’s (son) Trupoff, village Sukmanka, bailiwick (volost) Sukmanka.

The family selected is one of medium standing, getting along well with its farming. The figures refer to 1879, when the crops were good, the yield being in the ratio of 10:1 to the seed.

Members of the Family.

1. The housefather, 60 year old, doing all kinds of farm work.

2. His wife, of the same age, keeping the house.

3. Their son, aged 27.

4. Their daughter-in law, aged 26, and,

5-7. The son and daughter-in-law’s three children, between 3 and 8 years of age.

Schedule of Property Owned by the Family.

1. Wooden house, straw roof:

Dimensions.	Yards.	Feet.	Inches.
a. Length	9	1
b. Breadth	4	2
c. Height	2	2	2

Add thereto sheds, etc., used for various farming purposes.

2. Land, 15 dessiatines (= 40 acres).

3. Stock:

a. Horses	4
b. Cow	1
c. Calf	1

Income in Rubles.

Dr.	Price.	In Kind.	In Money.	Total.
1. Farm and house:
Rye, 40 Russian quarters, @	4.00	90.00	70.00	160.00
Oats, 60 Russian quarters, @	2.00	40.00	80.00	120.00
Millet, 5 Russian quarters, @	5.00	25.00		25.00
Potatoes, 40 Russian measures, @	0.15	6.00		6.00
Flaxseed, 5 quarters, @	10.00		50.00	50.00
Flax and hemp, fibre		30.00		30.00
Hemp seed, 2½ quarters, @	8.00	20.00		20.00
Hay, 100 poods, @	0.10	10.00		10.00
Straw		40.00		40.00
Two slaughtered pigs, @	5.00	10.00		10.00
One calf, @	20.00	20.00		20.00
Sold: ducks, @			4.00
3 geese, @	1.00		3.00
1 colt, @	23.00		23.00	30.00
Total from farm and house		291.00	230.00	521.00
II. Rented grass land: 3 dessiatines (8 acres):
Hay, 180 poods, @	0.10	18.00		18.00
III. Odd jobs:
(Farm work and driving)			52.00	52.00
Grand total		309.00	282.00	591.00

Expenses in Rubles.

Cr.	Price.	In Kind.	In Money.	Total.
I. Productive Consumption:
1. Forage for cattle[199]:
Hay		28.00
Oats		40.00
Straw		40.00
All to forage		108.00		108.00
2. Wages to the communal shepherd:
The family’s share		3.00
3. Wear and tear of implements		30.00
Total productive consumption		108.00	33.00	141.00
II. Personal Consumption:
1. Food:
Rye flour, 15 poods a month @	0.50	90.00
Salt, 4½ poods a year @	0.70		3.15
Hemp oil		20.00
Wheat flour, 217 lbs. a year			12.00
Corn		25.00
Potatoes		6.00
Meat and lard
a. On holidays 72 lbs.			5.60
b. On workdays 430 lbs.		30.00
Total meat 502 lbs.
Salted fish and herring			5.00
Brandy, 4 pails (400 glasses)			16.00
All to food[200]		171.00	41.75	212.75
2. Shoes:
One pair a year to each member of the family			13.00
Felt boots for all			3.00
All for shoes			16.00	16.00
3. Clothing:
One fur to each father and son, once in 5 years @	10.00		4.00
One coat to each, once in 2 years @	5.00		5.00
One gird to each, once in 10 years @	0.16		0.80
One cap to each, once in 5 years @	2.00		10.00
One holiday coat to each, once in 3 years @	6.00		4.00
One overcoat for the son, once in 2 years @	5.00		2.50
Dresses for two women			16.00
Dresses for children			10.00
Linen from own flax and seed		30.00
All to clothing		30.00	42.46	72.46
4. Sundries:
Lard candles, 10 lbs. a year			1.60
Kerosene, 36 lbs. a year			2.40
Expenses of worship			5.50
Soap			1.50
Tar			2.50
Moulding of rye, etc.			10.00
Unexpected			10.00
All to sundries			33.50	33.50
Total personal consumption		201.00	133.71	334.71
III. Taxes			37.50	37.50
All to ordinary expenses		309.00	204.21	513.21
IV. Rent for 3 dessiatines grass land, @	5.00		15.00	15.00
Total expenditures		309.00	219.21	528.21
Balance:
1. Net income from farm and house				7.79
2. Net income from rented land				3.00
3. Income from sundry jobs				52.00
Grand total				591.00

II. Kosma Abramoff, village Michaïlovka, bailiwick Nicholo-Kabañ yevskaya.

The family counts as one of the “strong” economically.

Members.

3	male workers.
3	female workers.
3	children.
1	elder.
10

Schedule of Property.

1. 1 house (with appurtenances):

	Yards.	Inches.
a. Length	6	8
b. Breadth	6	8

2. Land, 3 dessiatines (8 acres).

3. Stock:

a. Horses	5
b. Cow	1
c. Calves	2
d. Sheep	11
e. Lambs	7
f. Pigs	2

Income in Rubles.

Dr.
I. Farming on the allotted land (garden, house and appurtenances)	181.00
II. Domestic industry for domestic use	177.80
Total farm and house	358.80	358.80
Deficit to cover the expenses		660.45
Total		1019.25
III. Farming on rented land:
Gross income	640.00
Rent		282.00
Net product		358.00
Total		640.00
IV. Odd jobs:
Farm work, tailoring, carrying trade, wage work, etc.	245.00
Total income	1243.80	1243.80
Balance (deficit)		57.45
Grand Total		1301.25

Expenses[201] in Rubles.

Cr.	In Kind.	In Money.	Total.
I. Productive consumption	154.00	127.00	281.00
II. Personal Consumption:
Food[202]	255.00	137.05	392.05
Clothing	170.00	60.00	230.00
Shoes and stockings	7.80	51.50	59.30
Miscellaneous		40.90	40.90
All to personal consumption	432.80	289.45	722.25
III. Taxes		16.00	16.00
Total ordinary expenditure	586.80	432.45	1019.25
IV. Rent: For 20 dessiatines		282.00	282.00
Grand total	586.80	714.45	1301.25

III. Capiton Popoff, village Pavlovka, bailiwick Pavlodarovka.

The family is considered one of the “powerless.”

Members.

1. Father.

2. Mother.

3. Son.

4. Daughter-in-law.

5. Girl of 16.

6. Girl of 13.

7-8. Two little boys.

Schedule of Property.

1. House, 14×14 square feet.

2. Land, 1½ dessiatines (4 acres).

3. Stock:

a. Horse	1
b. Cow	1
c. Sheep	3

Yearly Income in Rubles.

Dr.
Farm and house	27.80
Rented land	74.00
Wage labor	74.80
Total	176.60
Balance, deficit	65.20
Grand total	241.80

Yearly Expenses in Rubles.

Cr.
I. Rent	57.00
II. Taxes	8.00
III. Food:
Meat at Easter, 11 pounds @ 9 copecks	0.99
at St. Peter’s day, 10 pounds @ 8 cop.	0.80
at Christmas, @ 5 cop. (of own produce)	1.75
All to meat	3.54
5 chickens and 50 eggs	1.05
18 pounds very bad salted fish at the carnival, @ 4 cop.	0.72
Rye bread, cabbage, potatoes, salt, butter, corn, pickles, and apples for the children	106.61
All to food	111.92
IV. Clothing[203]	23.10
V. Shoes[203]	27.00
VI. Sundries[204]	15.78
Grand total	241.80