Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 3 - From Marx to Mao

224
V. I. LENIN
drawn up at a landowner’s request for his estate in one of
3 the southern gubernias, cited figures showing the economies
to be effected by this method of tilling the land. According
to this plan, it was proposed to plough 540 dess. annually,
and a part of this twice a year. The depth of furrow was to be
from 42 to 5 vershoks.* The soil was pure black earth.
In addition to ploughs, the plan provided for machinery
for other field-work, and also for a threshing machine and a
mill, the latter of 25 h.p., calculated to operate 2,000 hours
per annum. The cost of completely equipping the estate,
including six versts of overhead cable of 50-mm. thickness,
was estimated at 41,000 rubles. The cost of ploughing one
dessiatine would be 7 rubles 40 kopeks if the mill were put
up, and 8 rubles 70 kopeks with no mill. It was shown that
at the local costs of labour, draught animals, etc., the use
of electrical equipment would in the first case effect a saving
of 1,013 rubles, while in the second case, less power being
used without a mill, the saving would be 966 rubles.
No such sharp change is to be noted in the output of
threshing and winnowing machines, because their production
was relatively well established long ago.** In fact, a special
centre for the “handicraft” production of these machines was
established in the town of Sapozhok, Ryazan Gubernia,
and the surrounding villages, and the local members of the
peasant bourgeoisie made plenty of money at this “industry”
(cf. Reports and Investigations, I, pp. 208-210). A particularly
rapid expansion is observed in the production of reaping
machines. In 1879, about 780 of these machines were
produced; in 1893 it was estimated that 7,000 to 8,000 were
sold a year, and in 1894-95 about 27,000. In 1895, for
example, the works belonging to J. Greaves in the town of
Berdyansk, Taurida Gubernia, “the largest works in Europe
in this line of production” (Vestnik Finansov, 1896, No.
51) i.e., in the production of reaping machines, turned out
4,464 reapers. Among the peasants in Taurida Gubernia
reaping machines have become so widespread that a special
* 7.8 to 8.7 inches.—Ed.
** In 1879 about 4,500 threshing machines were produced, and
in 1894-1895 about 3,500. The latter figure, however, does not include
output by handicraft industry.