JOURNEY FROM St. PETERSBURG TO TZARITZIN*

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Mnogoplodnoi Owes. I have left with the farmers feveralfpecies of oats for farther experiments. Hemp is likewife pro-duced here, and converted to manufa&uring purpofes : and Ihave no doubt but that of the Chinefe and Bolognefe wouldflourifh particularly well in this neighbourhood.

All grain is here placed in ftacks near the villages, andbefide open threfhing-floors, tili it is again feparated and dried incorn-kilns * for threfhing in winter: the ftraw is thrown away,except what is ufed for the cattle and for thatching. In afimilar manner the düng in all thefe rieh countries is call intopits and pools near the villages, and thus improvidently wafted ;becaufe their fallows improve in fertility the fueeeeding year

* The Ruffian corn-kiln, ovin, confifts of a wooden flied made of balks driventogether, having a few apertures with fhutters in the fides, and furnifhed withinwith feveral crofs poles. Adjoining to the fhed, an oven of brickwork is made inthe earth, from which flues run into the kiln. When the com is to be malted,the fheaves are hung upon the poles, and a flow fire is kept in the oven, the fmokeof which penetrates into the kiln, making the flieaves to reek ; the vapour efeapesby the fide-holes, which are opened at pleafure. In fome provinces the kiln isfomewhat differently conftrufted ; but the pradlice of malting the com in thismanner is univerfal, and is of great and various Utility. The grains are indeedfmaller for the drying ; but it preferves them from corn-worms, renders the grainfit for keeping in granaries, and even incorruptible in long voyages at fea, with-out rendering it unferviceable for fowing. This advantage of the Ruflian grain is,however, procured at a great expence of wood ; for which, in fome parts, per-haps, mofs-turf might be employed with the fame effedt. The com being malted,it is carried by the Finns into the kiln itfelf, but threfhed out on the floor by theRuffians, or on the ice, with fmalllight flails, and purged by cafting or winnowing.The generality of countrymen keep their grain in the com ; only fome of themgrind all their rye immediately into grift-meal. See Mr. Tooke's " View of the" Rußian Empire." 1799. Vol. iii. pp. 261, 262.

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