it is because
they have adopted a less patriarchal and more expensive style of living.
Their land has doubled and trebled in value during the last thirty
years, and their revenues have increased, if not in proportion, at least
considerably. In 1903 I visited a number of estates in this region and
found them in a very prosperous condition, with agricultural machines of
the English or American types, an increasing variety in the rotation of
crops, greatly improved breeds of cattle and horses, and all the other
symptoms of a gradual transition to a more intensive and more rational
system of agriculture.

It must be admitted, however, that even in the Black-earth Zone the
proprietors have formidable difficulties to contend with, the chief of
which are the scarcity of good farm-labourers, the frequent droughts,
the low price of cereals, and the delay in getting the grain conveyed to
the seaports. On each of these difficulties and the remedies that might
be applied I could write a separate chapter, but I fear to overtax the
reader's patience, and shall therefore confine myself to a few remarks
about the labour question. On this subject the complaints are loud and
frequent all over the country. The peasants, it is said, have become
lazy, careless, addicted to drunkenness, and shamelessly dishonest with
regard to their obligations, so that it is difficult to farm even in the
old primitive fashion and impossible to introduce radical improvements
in the methods of culture. In these sweeping accusations there is a
certain amount of truth. That the muzhik, when working for others,
exerts himself as little as possible; that he pays little attention to
the quality of the work done; that he shows a reckless carelessness with
regard to his employer's property; that he is capable of taking money
in advance and failing to fulfil his contract; that he occasionally gets
drunk; and that he is apt to commit certain acts of petty larceny when
he gets the chance--all this is undoubtedly true, whatever biassed
theorists and sentimental peasant-worshippers may say to the contrary.*
It would be a mistake, however, to suppose that the fault is entirely
on the side of the peasants, and equally erroneous to believe that the
evils might be remedied, as is often suggested, by greater severity
on the part of the tribunals, or by an improved system of passports.
Farming with free labour, like every other department of human activity,
requires a fair amo