Evolution of agriculture in Western Siberia at the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century

As a result of literary analysis of economic and statistical research data of Western-Siberian farms at the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century shows, evolution of agriculture in the region was based on natural and historical background, traditions, and propensities of people of a particular locality, accumulated during many generations of peasant labor experience. Development of agricultural land in Western Siberia passed in different stages that determined the levels of development of resettlement farms in different areas. For example, in the most forested areas farmers spend a lot of time and work for the development of arable land. In the steppe regions there were also many difficulties with the involvement of new arable land as agricultural implements brought from the Ukraine, were not adapted to the plowing of virgin lands. The technology of growing crops in the steppe and forest steppe was about the same, but the difference was in the instruments which farmers possessed. Сrop rotation was varied and totally dependent on the land owner, his knowledge of local conditions and soil quality. The basis of farming was lea-fallow system, which included the alternation of crops with lea. In pure form, fallow cropping system was used only in the farms of the steppe and southern forest-steppe zones. The use of organic fertilizers increased from south to north of the region. The set of agricultural machines and implements used was defined by zoning. At this time formed a specialization of different areas of the region are formed and areas of production of certain crops. Thus, the spring wheat crops were concentrated in the steppe and forest-steppe, and winter rye in the taiga and subtaiga of Western Siberia on sod-podzol and forest soils. The yield of grain crops, especially in the desert, completely dependent on the current weather situation and fluctuated within a wide range. In this regard, farmers have created a natural grain reserves (insurance Fund in case of crop failure). Thus, in the early XX century in Western Siberia formed the largest district in the country's grain production, including high-quality grain production.