Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 13 - From Marx to Mao

AGRARIAN QUESTION AND “CRITICS OF MARX”191much on the keeping of draught animals. Small-scale productionimplies dispersion of the technical means of farmingand a squandering of labour as a result of this dispersion.This dispersion is partly due to the fact that the smallfarmers are obliged to use draught animals of an inferiorquality, that is, to use cows as draught animals. The percentageof cows in relation to the total number of draughtanimals was as follows:1875 1884(a) Estates — —(b) Farms of 25 ha and over — 2.5%(c) ” 7.5 to 25 ha 6.3% 11.4%(d) ” 5.5 to 7.5 ” 60.7% 64.9%(e) ” up to 2.5 ” 67.7% 77.9%Average 27.0% 33.4%From this it is clearly evident that the use of cows infield work is increasing, and that cows are the principaldraught animals on the semi-proletarian and small-peasantfarms. David is inclined to regard this as progress inexactly the same way as Drechsler, who takes entirely thebourgeois standpoint. In his conclusions Drechsler writes:“A large number of the small farms have gone over to theuse of cows as draught animals, which is more expedientfor them.” It is “more expedient” for the small farmersbecause it is cheaper. And it is cheaper because inferiordraught animals are substituted for better ones. The progressof the small peasants which rouses the admiration ofthe Drechslers and Davids is quite on a par with the progressof the vanishing hand weavers, who are going over toworse and worse materials, waste products of the mills.The average weight of draught cows in 1884 was 381kilogrammes,* that of draught horses being 482 kilogrammes,* The average weight of cows not employed for field work was421 kilogrammes.