402 The JoiLrnal of Forestry. 



dwellings was more particularly noteworthy, the design being in 

 rosettes of mosaic of different foreign woods. It should be observed 

 that the use of machinery in the manufacture of articles of wood is 

 coming more and more into vogue in Russia, which serves both to 

 improve and cheapen the goods. 



It is strange that Russia has not yet, with all its forest riches, 

 endeavoured to compete with Norway in the export of all kinds of 

 machine-made carpentry, &c. 



Although there were a good many exhibitions of furniture from 

 St, Petersburg workshops, it cannot be said that they faithfully repre- 

 sented the furniture trade of the capital. 



There were shown only very rich and expensive specimens ; middle- 

 class strong and useful articles at moderate prices were wanting. Then 

 in the furniture which was displayed the strength of work as an 

 appendage to expensive articles was quite a secondary consideration, 

 and the attention of the jurors was devoted mainly to the artistic 

 side, the form, ornamentation, carving, &c. In this respect it may 

 b& said that the best St. Petersburg firms have made marked progress — 

 they have at last become firmly convinced that routine and a slavish 

 repetition of old patterns and designs are incompatible with really 

 first-rate production ; they are now supplied with designs by first-rate 

 artists, academicians of St. Petersburg. 



As a novelty at the exhibition in useful furniture may be noticed 

 chairs manufactured of ash, on the principle of the Austrian chairs, 

 which are of beech, and imported in large quantities into Russia. 

 The ready-made furniture, which is sold in the markets of the capitals, 

 appears at first sight cheap, but it generally turns out veritable 

 rubbish, and what with the heat of the sun in the summer, and the 

 hot rooms in the winter, it will hold together but a very short time. 

 Among the articles manufactured in factories in Russia may be 

 mentioned lucifer matches ; they are produced with every improvement 

 in Finland, in the capital, at ]\Ioscow, and besides a large demand for 

 them in the country, they are largely exported for foreign consump- 

 tion. 



