RKviKws 677 



111^, and 13 inches. These dimensions will yield lumber of such di- 

 mensions as are most in demand. The logs are generally "drawn out" 

 to 4 inches at the top and the remainder is cut into firewood, props, etc. 



The thousands of rivers and lakes in all parts of Finland greatly 

 facilitate logging operations, (ienerally speaking, the maximum dis- 

 tance from the place where the logging operations are carried on to 

 the nearest waterway is seldom in excess of 7 or 10 miles and the 

 average distance may be about 2 to 2l4 miles. In exceptional cases the 

 distance may be 15 to 80 miles. Furthermore, the country is fairly 

 level and no such steep hills and mountainous regions are found in the 

 forest area of Finland as are frequently seen in Norway. Therefore, 

 conditions for hauling logs are favorable. 



The excellent floating facilities in Finland impress one immediately. 

 A network of rivers and lakes spreads all over the country, and when 

 the rivers have been cleared of obstructions now hampering the floating 

 in many sections, there will hardly be any part of the forest area of 

 Finland that can not be exploited profitably by the sawmills. The many 

 improvements made in the Finnish waterways up to the present time 

 have not only had a direct bearing on the supply of logs at the saw- 

 mills, but have also enhanced many fold the value of timberlands which 

 formerly were inaccessible. 



The combined length of all the Finnish rivers suitable for floating 

 aggregates 6,000 to 7,000 miles, and before the war an average of 

 30.000,000 to 40,000,000 logs were floated annually in these rivers. It 

 is estimated that a land area of about 116,000 square miles, which is 

 about 80 per cent of the total area of the country, is adjacent to thes" 

 floating rivers. 



The time required for floating of logs in the rivers varies and may 

 take only one season or as much as three seasons. Floating extending 

 through three seasons is rare and the logs naturally depreciate con- 

 siderably in quality during such long periods. The average time re- 

 quired in the principal Finnish rivers is two seasons. The percentage 

 of sunken logs varies from 1^ to 3 per cent, the average being about 

 2 per cent. 



Pine and spruce are the chief species floated, but birch is also floated 

 to some extent, although it oflfers difficulties on account of its heavier 

 weight. Recently an experiment was made in one of the principal 

 rivers in floating birch cut into short lengths of about 3j/3 feet and 

 35,000 cubic feet of such stock was floated a distance of about 50 miles. 

 The cost was about $0,003 per cubic foot. The quantity of sunken 



