SARATOV, a province of Russia, much smaller than the former Saratov province, lying on the right bank of the Volga river, with Ulianovsk and Penza on the north, Tambov on the west, Stalingrad on the south, and the German Volga republic and Samara on the east. Its area is 90,863 sq.km. and its popu lation 2,891,404, almost entirely agricultural. A small portion of it, the Novo-Uzensk district, lies east of the German Volga republic. The province occupies the eastern part of the great central plateau of Russia, which slopes gently to the south until it merges imperceptibly into the steppe region ; its eastern slope, deeply cut into by ravines, falls abruptly to the Volga. The higher parts range from 700 to goo ft. above the sea, while the Volga flows at an elevation of 20 f t. only at Khvalynsk in the north, and thus the river banks have a hilly appearance.
Every geological formation from the Carboniferous to the Miocene is represented, though the older formations are con cealed under Cretaceous deposits of fossiliferous marls, flint-bear ing clays and iron-bearing sandstones. The boulder clay of the Finland and Olonets ice sheets penetrates into the east of the province, and loess and other post-glacial deposits are found in the south-east. Iron-ore is abundant and chalk, lime and white pottery clay are obtained in some parts.
The province is comparatively well drained, the upper course of the Sura, a tributary of the Volga, lies in the north and the upper Medvedyitsa and Khoper flow south and drain into the Don. They are navigable in spite of their shallows, and ready made boats are brought in pieces from the Volga, and put to gether on their shores. The forest has almost disappeared; houses are made of clay and dung is used for fuel.
The climate is severe and continental, with a recorded range of temperature of 119° F in some parts; at Saratov the average January temperature is 12.4° F, the average July temperature 7]5° F. The Volga at Saratov is frozen for 162 days in the year. Rainfall is scanty and irregular, varying between 8 and 16 in. in
normal years and much less in drought years, the rain falling mainly in spring and early summer. The region is arid and rapid desiccation is progressing. In the north and west are sandy black earth soils, interspersed with dark grey forest lands and grey wooded clays (Volsk, Khvalynsk, the northern part of Petrovsk). In Petrovsk, Serdobsk, Atkarsk and Balashov counties are clayey black-earths, while Balashov contains a strip of rich black-earth with a high humus content, but even here there are patches of salt land and salt marshes.
The yield of the soil in Saratov province has become stabilized at a low level because although the soil contains about 6—io% of humus, its friability disappears after a few years of persistent planting with cereals. The great variability of crop yield, some times so low as to reduce the district to starvation (e.g., in 1921), and the appearance of salting indicate the need for more inten sive methods of agriculture. Attempts are being made to increase the friability of the soil, to put large areas under grass for several years, and to introduce plough culture and better types of crop rotation, with less fallow, and to introduce the sowing of the more drought resisting types of grain. Marmots, mice and insects are great pests to agriculture. Experimental stations have been established at eight points and the agronomical faculty of the University of Saratov has an experimental institute. In the Novo-Uzensk district east of the German Volga republic the soil and drought problem is even more acute ; here are light brown and brown clayey soils, with some chestnut brown soil and sands and salty areas. In good years crops are successful, in drought years famine is severe. For 5o years the peasants here have been practising a form of irrigation and plans are now in hand for lagoon irrigation of an extensive area above the town of Novo Uzensk and near the settlement of Alexandrov-Gai, utilizing the waters of the Great Uzen.