PERIODICAL LITERATURE. 

 FOREST GEOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION. 



Generally speaking the forests of Asia- 



Forests tic Russia are confined to the mountains of 



of Caucasus and the northern part of Siberia. 



Asiatic Russia. The interior country is too arid for forest 



growth. 

 Conifers are more important in the north while the hardwoods 

 reach their best development in the mountain valleys of south- 

 western Asiatic Russia. Among the latter, beech and oak are 

 most important commercially although walnut, birch, elm, maple, 

 ash, linn and poplar also occur. Pine, spruce and fir are the 

 important conifers. 



Exploitation has been confined almost entirely to the shores 

 of the Black Sea and northeastern Siberia. From both of these 

 sections ship transport is comparatively easy and supplies are 

 sent at a low cost to the nearby markets. The vast softwood 

 wealth of western and central Siberia has as yet been scarcely 

 touched. Since the rivers drain north, transport must be through 

 the Arctic Ocean and the summer is so short that a vessel can 

 rarely make a round trip from England or Holland in a year. 

 Unless cheap railroad transportation to the south can be secured 

 the forest wealth of northern Siberia must remain uncut for 

 some time to come. K. W. W. 



Aus Rnssland. Forstwissenschaftliches Centralblatt, Aug., 1913. Pp. 



451-454- 



Transcaucasia is the Russian province 

 Forest Conditions lying south of the Caucasian Mountains 

 in and north of Persia. In spite of the long 



Transcaucasia. time it has been settled, its dense popula- 

 tion, and its stormy history nearly 30% 

 of the total area is still forested. The private forests have, how- 

 ever,Hfen badly abused and even the Government holdings are 

 not in very good condition. If these latter are properly handled 

 they will be able to furnish the greater part of the timber needed 



