Statistics of agriculture at the turn of the XVIII-XVIIII centuries

Throughout the time, let's say, the meaningful existence of mankind, statistics were more or less present in people's lives. Given the fact that agriculture for the vast majority of peoples was a fundamental activity, then statistical calculations began to appear in the bottom sector earlier and more intensively. If we consider such a factor as agricultural statistics on the expanses of modern Russia, it is worth noting the fact that this aspect was formed in relatively acceptable limits only in the 18th century. Moreover, during almost the whole of the 19th century, only grain sown and collected were taken into account in the provincial books, and the sown areas were not taken into account in any way, which, naturally, made it impossible to determine the yield. And only in 1882-1883 was collected information on the provinces of the areas to be sown.

The Central Statistical Committee received relative yields

Agricultural statistics at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries were rather superficial. This is due to the fact that the overwhelming majority of the information was collected by voluntary correspondents from the words of the landowners. It should be noted that almost until 1903, the areas to be sown were divided into two categories-owner and allotment. And only with changes in the work of the Central Statistical Committee in 1904, the graduation of land in some way increased, there appeared privately owned, purchased, leased and allotment land.

An interesting fact is that, in addition to the Central Statistical Committee itself, crop production statistics were also of interest to the Department of Agriculture, as well as to rural industries related to the Ministry of State Property and Agriculture. Of course, the sown areas were not taken into account either. An interesting fact can be considered that during this period the statistics of crop production, more precisely, the productivity of cereals and other crops was conducted in so-called sams. This is a relative unit of measurement that characterizes the ratio of seeded raw materials to harvested crops. For example, the indicator "two" means that initially it was sown in half, let's say, grain, rather than later collected it in the harvest.

Livestock statistics

It is clear that even at relatively early stages of its formation, agricultural statistics could not be limited even to a banal account of grown grain and other crops. Naturally, to a certain extent the cattle population was also recorded. The number of available livestock included everything in the same provincial books, which at that time were the main source of information. It should be noted that the livestock statistics at the end of the 18th century were maintained by the Ministry of the Interior's veterinary department (since 1863), however, the so-called military census census began to bring the most reliable information in this matter, which originated in 1882, conducted All the same Central Statistical Committee in 58 provinces. It is clear that this census was conducted on horses, their age, owners and so on. But it was the presence of a horse or several that, in principle, at that time characterized the possibilities of the farm.

It is interesting that, despite the fact that agricultural statistics developed and, most importantly, there was to be, a full-scale agricultural census across Russia was made only in 1916. This was due to the war and the need to take into account all the country's food resources.