On the Siipply of Timber from Xorivay and Sivcdcn 479 



authority, and states that where already tried in also smaller than it was wont to be in old 

 Algeria the plan has been found most effectual, times. ]\Ir Laing, in his " Residence in 

 Neither of these remedies has been, nor Norway," says :■ — '" In building houses in 

 probably could be, had recourse to in Sv/e- Norway, timber is used of a size far exceed- 

 den or Nonvay ; and in their absence, or in ing the dimensions we generally suppose its 

 the absence of some substitute, the diswood- trees to attain. There is a log in this old 

 ing of the country will, we fear, not be long house which is three feet on each square side, 

 postponed. Indeed, it would seem to have and retains that size for at least tw^enty-five 

 begun already. English capitalists and Eng- feet of length. In all the houses, especially 

 lish sportsmen have begun to purchase tJiose of very old date, the logs are as large 

 estates and farms there, and their interest as the Memel or American timbers usually 

 in the future prosperity of Sweden and brought to England. I understand that the 

 its timber, if more enlightened, is at impediments in the rivers prevent^the float- 

 least less direct than that of the old pro- ing down of such lengths of great timber to 

 prietors, who lived from year's end to year's the coast. "•■' 



end on their own homestead. English But nothing speaks so strongly as the sta- 



timber merchants, too, have begun to take tistics of the exportations to Avhich w^e have 



leases of great tracts, for the very purpose of above referred. The follow'ing is a summary 



cutting do\vn the timber, and their interest, of these, for the greatest part of the present 



of course, extends no further than the dura- century, as complete as my data will 



tion of their lease. Various symptoms of the allow. I have to thank my friend, Mr P. L. 



progress of the calamity we dread may be Simmond's (who is more familiar with that 



pointed to. It was stated in the Swedish kind of work) for his assistance in picking out 



catalogue of the 1862 Exhibition that origi- these statistics, viz. : — 

 nallv shingles for roofing houses there, were 



iidiij Dlllllt,l^.,o Kj ^ , ^ EXPORTS OF TIMBER FROM NORWAY. 



made of fir (Abies excelsa), but the scarcity 



of fir had now caused the wood of PinUS Syl- Vears. of Two Tons. 



vestris to be used instead. Our Consul at J797 22,341 



Christiania, in i860, reported that great com- |^^? ■■' '' i-i'ooo 



plaints had lately been raised against the in- igj. '.'..^'.''.ZZ 172I000 



judicious system followed of late years, of 1819 170,800 



cutting down indiscriminately young trees 1824 186,700 



for conversion into pit props for the northern ^^^ i77>7oo 



ports. To such an extent had the felling of |g^g !^!!^!^1'!..'.'!^''. 241,500 



small timber been carried, that the State had 1842 256,900 



deemed it expedient to nominate a commis- ^^^^^ ^^ 



sion for the purpose of reporting upon the '^''^^rs. 50 Cubic Feet. 



present condition of the forests of the coun- \^l 1^^'^^° 



' .,. ... 1036 582,047 



try, and their capability to sustain their pre- jg^^ 571,105 



sent annual amount of export. Considerable 1838 603,922 



State forest lands have been brought under 1839 680,517 



the control of public inspectors, with a view '^40 666,497 



to their better management. Our Consul at ^ J^^ _ 



Gotha, wTiting in 1863, stated that the sup- ^g^^ .^!...'!!.'^!!^ — ^ 



plies of wood continue to exhibit a decrease of 1 844 — (" "° ^^^^' 



heavy sizes, and prove the steady progress 1845 — J 



towards a gradual exhaustion of the forests ^^4^ 677,825 



which supply the saw-mills in that part of the ^J^l ^' 



^' -^ 104^ 434>744 



country. 



The timber used in building in Norway is * " Laing's Residence in Norway, 1S56," p. 62. 



