238 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR carrying out the work in the fields, large zemstvo forces were or- ganized to cultivate derelict lands and help with sowing and har- vesting. On the southwestern front some 50,000 deciatines®® were at one time cultivated by labor of this kind. In general, it should be pointed out that the directors of the zemstvo were confronted with an entirely different set of problems at the front during the second half of the War. The first year of the War was taken up mainly with the care of the sick and wounded, the struggle against infectious disease, and sanitary and preventive measures. This involved the mobilization and application of the medical resources of the Union. After the middle of 1915, however, but more particularly in 1916, it was the turn of the technical and engineering forces of the zemstvos to assume the leading role, and these were now called upon to take vigorous measures for the benefit of the army. Every central institution of the Union now organized a technical and engineering section or board, whose expenditure and work were constantly growing and expanding. Some idea of the scope of this work may be obtained from the following data on the building activities of the zemstvo on the western front.** During that year the Union erected 2,034 buildings and 805 other struc- tures, such as bridges, wells, etc., at the cost of 8,000,000 rubles. At the close of 1916 the technical board of the western front was spend- ing about 3,000,000 rubles a month on the purchase of building materials. The Organization of the Union at the Front. The organization of the Union of Zemstvos developed gradually as circumstances required. As a general rule, the presiding board of the committee of the front was appointed by the Central Committee of the Union. It was composed of all the commissioners of the Union working at the front in question.*® The committees used to hold con- ferences and endeavored to lay down general rules for the settlement of all the general problems arising in the course of their work. In 88 One deciatine — 2.7 acres. 39 Izvestia (Bulletin), No. 48, pp. 150-155; Nos. 52-58, p. 263; Nos. 64- 66, pp. 104-105. 0 The organization of the Union of Zemstvos coincided with the main military divisions; that is in Europe the northern, western, southwestern, and later, the Rumanian fronts, and in Asia, the Caucasian front.