unt of knowledge, judgment, prudence, and tact, which
cannot be replaced by ingenious legislation or judicial severity. In
engaging labourers or servants it is necessary to select them carefully
and make such conditions that they feel it to be to their interest
to fulfil their contract loyally. This is too often overlooked by the
Russian land-owners. From false views of economy they are inclined
to choose the cheapest labourer without examining closely his other
qualifications, or they take advantage of the peasant's pecuniary
embarrassments and make with him a contract which it is hardly possible
for him to fulfil. In spring, for instance, when his store of provisions
is exhausted and he is being hard pressed by the tax-collector,
they supply him with rye-meal or advance him a small sum of money on
condition of his undertaking to do a relatively large amount of summer
work. He knows that the contract is unfair to him, but what is he to do?
He must get food for himself and his family and a little ready money for
his taxes, for the Communal authorities will probably sell his cow if he
does not pay his arrears.** In desperation he accepts the conditions
and puts off the evil day--consoling himself with the reflection that
perhaps (avos') something may turn up in the meantime--but when the time
comes for fulfilling his engagements the dilemma revives. According
to the contract he ought to work nearly the whole summer for the
proprietor; but he has his own land to attend to, and he has to make
provision for the winter. In such circumstances the temptation to evade
the terms of the contract is probably too strong to be resisted.

* Amongst themselves the peasants are not addicted to
thieving, as is proved by the fact that they habitually
leave their doors unlocked when the inmates of the house are
working in the fields; but if the muzhik finds in the
proprietor's farmyard a piece of iron or a bit of rope, or
any of those little things that he constantly requires and
has difficulty in obtaining, he is very apt to pick it up
and carry it home. Gathering firewood in the landlord's
forest he does not consider as theft, because "God planted
the trees and watered them," and in the time of serfage he
was allowed to supply himself with firewood in this way.

** Until last year (1904) they could use also corporal
punishment as a means of pressure, and I am not sure th