[91] _Statistical Reports for the Gubernia of Smolensk_, Vol. IV., pp. 296, 304, 350, 352: Vol. V., pp. 218, 226, 272, 274. [92] It can be seen by contrasting the figures of families whose houses have been sold with those of other destitute peasant groups: _Percentage of families._ _Landless or leasing _Owning neither horse _Houseless._ their total lots._ nor cow._ Ranenburg 8 15 25 Dankoff 10 15 25 [93] This is confirmed by a great many statements in the _Reports for the Gubernia of Ryazañ_, as well as by the following table taken from the _Statistical Reports for the Gubernia of Smolensk_: +-----------------------+----------+------------+ | Absent. |Youkhnoff,|Dorogobouzh,| | |per cent. | per cent. | +-----------------------+----------+------------+ |Rate to the population | 7 | 5 | | Of these: | | | |Owning houses | 19 | 27 | |Houseless | 81 | 73 | | | ---- | ---- | | Total | 100 | 100 | +-----------------------+----------+------------+ +-----------------------+----------+------------+ | Houseless. |Youkhnoff,|Dorogobouzh,| | |per cent. | per cent. | +-----------------------+----------+------------+ |Rate to the population | 9 | 6 | | Of these: | | | |Living in the village | 36 | 41 | |Absent from the village| 64 | 59 | | | ---- | ---- | | Total | 100 | 100 | +-----------------------+----------+------------+ [94] “The Pillars” is the title of a very popular novel by Mr. Zlatovratsky, one of the leading peasantist writers. [95] I must again plead for extenuating circumstances in the event of being mistaken as to the exact date. [96] The “major” _i. e._ the head of the family, composed of married brothers and sisters, is not always the eldest brother. In case the eldest male member of the family shows himself not qualified for the management of the household, one of the younger brothers is occasionally entrusted with the office. [97] To use the term adopted by Mr. Michaïlovsky, the renowned Russian writer on sociology. [98] The number of workers included in the tenth census is not given in the reports, but the distribution of the population according to age is not likely to have changed very much in 25 years, the rates being determined to a great extent by biological influences, which are modified very slowly. The percentage of the total male population that by the census of the zemstvo had reached the age at which they are usually set to work is as follows: