Kitchen-gardens are not much attended to. Potatoes!. several kinds of cabbages, turnips, and carrots however are extensively grown ; and in some placer cucumbers, pumpkins, and radishes. Melons, and especially watermelons, are very almodant in the hot and dry countries near the steppes. Asparagus grows wild in the southern districts. Hope are found wild, bat they are also cultivated. Liquorice thrivee luxuriantly on the banks of the Volga In the government of Astrakhan; it is taken to Astrakhan, where the juice is expressed, and considerable quantities of it are exported. Soda is obtained from different kinds of salsola that grow in the steppes.
The forests constitute one of the principal sources of wealth to Russia, and their produce, consisting of timber, fire-wood, tar, pitch, ashes, pearl-ash. and potash, is exported to a large amount. About three-fourths of the countries between 65 N. lat. and the course of the Volga as far east as its great bend near Casan, are covered with forest.. In all them countries only pine, fir, larch, alder, and birch are found, with A few lime-trees; ash-trees are rare. From these countries Is derived the greatest part of the produce of the forests which goes to foreign markets. The central provinces have hardly as much wood as is required for fuel and for manufacturing purposes. In some parts even fire-wood is dear and scarce. West of the Dnieper extensive forests occur on the banks of the Niemen and in the swamps of Pinsk and Ratner. They chiefly consist of pine- and fir-trees, but birch- and lime-trees are also common, and in come parts these are the prevalent kinds. South of the swamps of Pinsk and Ratner there are some forests of beech, and this is the only part of Russia where that tree is abundant. The great forests to the east of the central pro vinces occupy a large part of the governments of Penn, Viatka, Cavan, Niachnei-Novgorod, Pease, and Saratov. They consist mostly of pine, fir, larch, alder, and birch in Perm and Viatka; but in the other governments, of oaks, time-trees, elms, and ash. The southern pro vinces of Russia are quite without trees. The oak-tree is most common between 53' and 56' N. lat. Near the Ural Mountains it is not found north of 57' N. lat., but farther west it extends to 59° N. lat., and a few trees are even found in Finland north of 60' N. lat.
The domestic animals of England are found in Russia, with the exception of rabbits. Horses are very numerous, and of various
breeds. Those in the northern provinces are rather small, but the central and southern districts have large breeds. Those of the Comaks, Kalmuck,, and Kirghiz, which pasture in the steppes, and become almost wild, are distinguished by their power of sustaining the greatest fatigue with very scanty food. There are also a few wild horses in the steppes. Black cattle is abundant, as is evident from the immense quantities of tallow and hides which are exported, though the domestic consumption of both articles is very great. Sheep are still more numerous; and the breed has been improved by crossing with the Merino and Saxon sheep. In general however the wool is of an indifferent quality. During the winter sheep-skins form the common dress of the peasantry. In the southern steppes there are some peculiar breed. of sheep, among which the Kirghiz breed with the large bushy tail is the most remarkable. Their wool, when fall grown, is abort and coarse, but the lambs have a fine and beautiful fleece. Goats are more numerous in Russia than in other countries of Europe: the skins are used for making morocco leather. Hogs are generally reared, except in the eteppos : they are most numerous in the countries where there are oak-forests, and in the western provinces, from which a great number of hams and much bacon is sent to other parts of the empire. The nomadic tribes which wander about in the steppes keep • great number of camels : some rich proprietors have more than 1000 head. in the government of Astrakhan buffaloes are kept. Fowl, geese, and ducks are abundant. Reindeer aro only kept earth of 66' N. IAL Among the wild animals of Russia are the bison (Urus), whioh still exist. in the forest of Bialovlza, near the source of the Narew ' • and in the northern forests elks, deer, hares, and wild hogs, bears, gluttons, badgers, wolves, foxes, martens, polecats, weasels, ermines, otters, squirrels, and marmot.. In the steppe there are wolves, foxes, and wild hogs ; also wild asses, taiga antelopes, konsaks, and the dipus jerboa.
Nearly all kinds of birds which are met with in England occur in Russia, and also the mpercailzio and pelican : the lag however lives only on the shores of the Black Sea and the Caspian.