Report of the Chief of Tokmak District. Document No. 12 (December 1890)
REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF TOKMAK DISTRICT ON THE INSTRUCTION OF THE MILITARY GOVERNOR OF SEMIRECHYE REGION REGARDING THE REQUEST OF A. M. FETISOV FOR THE ALLOCATION OF LAND TO HIM FOR LEASE
Pishpek, December 17, 1890
In response to Your Excellency's instruction dated November 15, No. 19520, I have the honor to report that the gardener Fetisov has, in addition to the cheese factory and its accessories, the following in the city of Pishpek: a basement made of burnt brick for storing cheese; iron-steel plows of the latest system: a) single-horse 1, b) two-horse Swedish 1, c) three-horse two-blade Eckert 1, d) Eckert cultivator 1, e) Little Russian plows 2, f) wooden harrows with iron teeth 4, g) carts with variable harness for horses and oxen 2, h) iron-wheeled carts 1, i) yokes for oxen 21 pairs, j) wheat for sowing and food more than 1000 poods, k) peas for seeds about 10 poods, l) milking cows: local breed 82, Tibetan yaks 2, Dutch crossbreeds 7, m) two-year-old heifers 30, one-year-old 34, n) breeding bulls of local breed 3, Dutch crossbreeds 2, purebred Dutch 1, working bulls of local breed 18, o) bull calves aged 2-3 years 35, one-year-olds 21, totaling 235 heads.
Upon inspection of the lands requested by gardener Fetisov for an agricultural farm of 120 desyatins and for a summer cheese factory of 180 desyatins, it was found that the requested 120 desyatins for the agricultural farm are located about 15 versts south of the city of Pishpek, behind the first foothill of the Alexandrovsky ridge, between the rivers Ala-Archa and Alamedin, on both sides of the Karakiya spring, which flows from the northern slope of the Alexandrovsky ridge and serves as the boundary between the Alamedin and Tolkanov volosts. Of these 120 desyatins, gardener Fetisov wishes to receive 60 desyatins from the northern steep slope of the mountain ridge, unsuitable for agriculture on both sides of the Karakiya spring for grazing livestock, and the same amount at the foot of the Alexandrovsky ridge, suitable for agriculture, which Mr. Fetisov needs for haymaking and the cultivation of agricultural plants. This land is used by two volosts, Alamedin and Tolkanov, therefore, when allocating to Mr. Fetisov, it will be necessary to designate 60 desyatins from each of the two mentioned volosts, including 30 desyatins of arable land and 30 desyatins of pasture. Almost on the very border of the requested plot, only 7 yurts of the Alamedin volost and 4 yurts of the Tolkanov volost, belonging to the poor, who have only a few livestock, winter. On the side of the Tolkanov volost, in the area of the plot requested by Mr. Fetisov, no more than 54 desyatins were sown this year, and the land has not been plowed for a long time; in the Alamedin volost, about 10 desyatins were sown, but plowing was done with a Little Russian plow, which indicates that this land is being rented out by the Kyrgyz for sowing to peasants or townspeople of Pishpek.
Considering that to the north, northeast, and southeast of the plot requested by Mr. Fetisov lies a vast expanse of arable land, used by the same nomads, occupying several square versts enclosed by the foothills of the Alexandrovsky ridge, which is plowed in an amount of no more than 10% of the total area, and that together with the townspeople and peasants, to whom the Kyrgyz annually lease for sowing. When allocating the requested 120 desyatins to Mr. Fetisov, including only 60 suitable and not absolutely all, in my opinion, cannot be burdensome for the Kyrgyz, as they still have a large area of unoccupied land. And although the volost authorities have informed me that the Kyrgyz society does not wish to give Mr. Fetisov land, this stems from the selfish calculations of the manaps and respected Kyrgyz, who are accustomed to exploiting the land for their benefit, giving it to peasants and townspeople, Sart and Tatars for sowing crops and grazing livestock. For the poor Kyrgyz, the allocation of land to Mr. Fetisov for an agricultural farm will undoubtedly bring benefits, as poor nomads with wives and children on the agricultural farm will have a steady income throughout the year, especially in summer. The allocation of 180 desyatins for a summer cheese factory and livestock pasture in the Bely-Saz gorge, near Karagayin bulak, in my opinion, also cannot burden the Kyrgyz, as this land is also located on the border of the two volosts, Tynaevskaya and Bulekbaevskaya, which already have sufficient space for pastures with a similar surplus compared to their livestock. If the Kyrgyz refuse gardener Fetisov the allocation of state land, which would bring overall benefit to the region, especially through the dissemination of breeding bulls, they willingly distribute free use of pastures for livestock to their creditors, Sarts, Tatars, and other wealthy fellow believers.
The goal of Mr. Fetisov, especially the improvement of the breed of cattle, deserves full imitation and support from the Government, which is why I would consider it fair to withdraw from the use of the Kyrgyz the state land requested by gardener Fetisov and lease it to him for 30 years at a payment to the treasury of 40 kopecks for each desyatin per year, as peasants pay for their allotment. And the Kyrgyz, as nomads and having no buildings on the land requested by Fetisov, can only slightly move their yurts and use the remaining space not included in Mr. Fetisov's allotment, especially since they will already move to another place by spring, so they will not lose anything from the fact that a relatively insignificant area of land will be ceded to gardener Fetisov from approximately six thousand square versts, which are in use by these four volosts.
County Chief, Military Elder Narbut
CGA RK. F.44.0p. 1.D.21416. L. 1 b. Original.
Report of the Scientific Gardener A.M. Fetisov. Document No. 11
