33- The yoitrnal of Forestry, 



the trunk, and 70 feet in height. The spruce fir tree extends further 

 north than the pine, but remains behind it in the south. These two 

 species of trees — in the shape, of hewn wood and timber, and sawn 

 and split wood — form, owing to the variety and usefulness of their 

 application, one of the most important staple commodities of liussia, 

 and reach this country through the ports of Archangel, St. Petersbui'g, 

 and liiga. 



As a comparative novelty in the export trade of Eussia, may be 

 mentioned larch timber. In the forests of Russia the European larch, 

 properly speaking, is not to be found ; instead of it grows the so-called 

 " Siberian larch." This latter species differs very little from the former 

 in a botanical sense, so that botanists formerly regarded these trees as 

 belonging to one and the same species, and even now there are many who 

 regard the Siberian larch as only a distinct variety of the other. The 

 liussian larch reaches enormous dimensionsboth in height and thickness, 

 the trunk being rounder thanthatof theEuropean species. The liussian 

 or Siberian larch grows principally in Siberia and in the vast district 

 through which flows the Petchora Ptiver, forming the north-eastern 

 corner of Russia, and part of the government of Archangel, which 

 distant territory it would appear has been neglected for upwards of 

 half a century. Quite recently a commission was appointed to inves- 

 tigate its natural resources, among which the larch tree engaged the 

 special attention of the commissioners. We learn that the larch of 

 the Petchora country grows on rich soil, mainly on the banks of 

 the rivers, and spreads, although not continuously, all over the 

 locality. The timber of this variety of the larch is exceedingly 

 strong, and is very much prized in Russia as a substitute for oak in 

 shipbuilding. Lieutenant-General Amasoff, the Inspector-General of 

 Shipbuilding at Cronstadt, makes the following observation on this 

 subject : — " Ships of the line, frigates, and other vessels, as well as 

 screw steamers, have been built at the port of Archangel exclusively 

 of larch, with the exception of a small portion of oak, which was used 

 for some of the parts where curves were required, where larch, owing 

 to its straightness, could not be employed. The vessels built of larch 

 at Archangel lasted, up to their first general repairs, from 13 to 22 

 years. In taking the vessels to pieces it was invariably found that the 

 larch was in a better state of preservation than the oak timbers, owing 

 to the tannic acid contained in the latter, which tends to corrode the 

 iron bolts, &c. 



" Up to the present time it has been the fashion in constructing iron- 

 clads to use teak backing for the iron plates, which is not only liable 

 to rot, but is subject to the attack of a peculiar kind of worm. Our 

 Russian larch offers a splendid material for plate-backing. It is 

 lighter than teak, is not liable to the attack of worms, being of a 



