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AGRIOULTURAL REPORT.

6

Annexed to this iustitution is a farm for the p imple peasants.. 3 WLiablisbments for special instruction in various subsidiary branches of rural economy have also been founded in different parts of the em- pire, such as forest institutes, schools of viticulture, gardening, bee- culture, sheep-raising,&c., and have been attended with good results.

At the period of instituting the frst agronomic schools, the idea was conceived of creating model establishments of rural economy. In 1801, a model farm was founded in the government of Smolensk to facilitate the introduction of an improved cultivation in the Ap- panage Domains; ahd in 1802, a similar establishment, termed the „English Farm,“ was founded near St. Petersburg; but both were suppressed shortly afterwards, in consequence of their expense so greatly exceeding the value of any benefit which seemed likely to be derived from them. At that period, the agricultural classes in Russia, it was found, were not sufficiently familiar with the mere ele- ments of a rational system of culture to be able to appreciate their advantages. But this first want of success did not prevent the Em- peror from again directing his attention to the subject. In 1825, the Minister of Finance was authorized to institute model farms in those Fistricts where it was thought they might be the most useful, appro- priating to each a foundation capital of 50,000 rubles(§37,500) and an annual rent of 15,000 rubles(§11,250.) By virtue of this authority, a farm was established at Lougaunsk, in the government of Ekathérinoslaw, which was afterwards suppressed for local reasons, and replaced by another founded in 1848, in the same government, on an estate belonging to the crown, in the district of Alexandrowsk. Besides this farm, others have been established in the governments of Wologda, Saratow,(two,) Tambow, Mohilew, Kazan, and Khrakow. The lands appropriated to these eight farms occupy an area of 10,490 dessiatines(28, 220 acres.) Both crown and private peasants are admitted as pupils into all. In 1849, the number of pupils was 706, but is annually increasing. A complete course of studies occupies four years, in which different systems of agriculture are taught, each being appropriate to the particular circumstances of the region where the farm is situated.

With the view of diffusing agronomic knowledge among the peasantry through the instrumentality of the village curates, the gov- ornment has introduced a course of agriculture into the seminaries which send to the institute of Gorigoretzk pupils intended to become professors of this branch of instruction; and the Ministry of Domains has since published a complete course of agriculture specially designed for the students. These curates, who belong to the dominant church, have considerable endowments in land, well arranged, and every way suitable for converting into little model farms; and an improved system of culture, seen in operation on the curate’s glebe, cannot fail to exert a favorable influence upon the whole parish, to say nothing of the good counsels which an intelligent parson may be able to impart.

But one of the most effectual means of conveying agricultural knowledge in Russia, and which has been recognized in every civil-

ractical instruction of