Collective farming is little developed, possibly r% of the land being worked in this way. Co-operative systems are more numer ous in Cherepovetz and Leningrad than in Pskov and Novgorod. Flax growing is improving and increased by 33i% in Pskov between 1924-6 and by 5o% in Novgorod. In Leningrad province flax is less cultivated; it demands 102 working days as against 24 for grass and the peasants in this area are attracted to factory labour. The chief grain crops are rye and oats; barley occupy ing a much smaller place except in Pskov. Potatoes and vege tables are increasingly produced for the Leningrad market, Pskov and Leningrad provinces occupying the first place and Chere povetz the last in this respect. The area under potatoes in creased by nearly 25% in Novgorod between 1924 and 1926. Apples are grown in Pskov and Novgorod and berry fruits in Leningrad province for the town market.
Agriculture and stock raising suffered severely during the terrible times following the 1914 war and especially in the post revolution period, but since 1924 a marked improvement has set in and in some cases the 1913 level has been passed. Cattle breeding and flax cultivation have again attained an export character; grain growing is still for local needs only and the town of Leningrad depends on the Ukraine, the Volga area and Siberia for its grain supply and upon Vologda province and Siberia to supplement its meat, eggs and butter supplies. The Ukraine, the south-east region, Turkestan and Siberia supply sugar, tobacco, oil seeds, wool, cotton, silk, leather and hemp to the town.
Timber production is fully developed as regards saw-milling, but except in Leningrad paper, cardboard and cellulose production has no importance. Matches are made in Novgorod, Leningrad and Cherepovetz. The peasants make wooden articles of every description, household utensils, sledges, carts, etc. Timber is still the chief fuel used by the peasants. In the forested areas hunting is a supplementary source of income, though in Cherepovetz (q.v.), it has an export character. Wolves and bears greatly in creased during 1914-20 and rewards are now offered for their capture. At the same time efforts are being made to introduce laws for the prevention of the destructive exploitation of f ur bearing animals in Cherepovetz, Pskov and Novgorod. In Lenin grad province there is very little hunting. Fishing is productive in the lakes and streams, especially in Ilmen and Byelo Ozero. There is little mineral wealth.
The region is deficient in fuel, but has much unexploited hydro electric power. The first step in its utilization was the opening of the Volkhov hydro-electric station in 1926-7, which has a capacity of 55,00o kilowatts. A drawback to this station is the
low water in late summer when only three out of its eight tur bines are working. The Red October station on the right bank of the Neva river near Leningrad, working on peat fuel, is able to supplement this deficiency. Two smaller stations have been opened on the Svir river and the Marii waterway and part of the railway will in future use electricity. The cheapening of manu factured products now that factories depend less on imported coal, with heavy freight costs, is already apparent. Moreover the use of hydro-electric power and peat permits the export of timber which was previously used for fuel.
The smaller industries of the provinces of Novgorod, Pskov and Cherepovetz, which depend on local raw material and local markets, recovered from the disastrous 1914-20 years much more rapidly than Leningrad, where large scale industry dependent on other regions for fuel and raw material and to a large extent on foreign capital and markets, had reached a complex stage in pre-war times. Novgorod has recovered most rapidly, its saw milling, furniture, match, pottery, glass and paper industries being now at pre-war level.
Other industries of the province are linen manufacture, brew ing, distilling, the making of leather goods, bricks, tiles, candles, etc. In Cherepovetz saw-milling is the most important industry, though it is still less than in pre-war times, partly because of efforts to prevent destructive exploitation of the forests. Leather goods, boots and shoes and matches are produced in much greater quantity than in 1913, but textiles and glass have not yet re covered. In Pskov, which was a war zone, the effects of 1914-20 are still marked, especially as the cutting off of land to the west altered the balance of trade after peace was restored. Local production in 1924 had reached 44% only of the 1913 level, the chief occupations being the making of leather and wooden articles. Textiles, glass, food-stuffs, peat and metal production, bristles, printing and paper had not by 1924 reached io% of the 1913 level. Peasant industries throughout the whole region are less developed than in other parts of Russia.