368 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



mate of their yield-capacity. He divided the productive forests of 

 Northern Russia into three regions — the western, the central, and 

 eastern. The data which he has collected indicate that the grow- 

 ing stock in the western region is about 60 per cent, below the 

 normal amount, that of the central region about 30 per cent., and 

 that the eastern region is still normally stocked. This shows 

 that, in the more accessible areas, production has not kept pace 

 with utilisation. At the same time he is of opinion that, if these 

 forests were at once taken under careful and systematic manage- 

 ment, they could, owing to their great extent, furnish considerable 

 quantities for export. Herein lies, however, the difficulty. It 

 will take a long time to introduce economical management and 

 control into these vast areas, and, in the meantime, the process of 

 deterioration is likely to go on. Finally, I desire to give a quota- 

 tion from a letter lately written by the Director-General of the 

 Russian State Forests. He sums up his remarks as follows : — 

 " The utilisation of the Russian State forests is considerably below 

 the annual growth, and Russia will for a long time to come be able 

 to keep up its production ; she will maintain it in proportions as 

 large as at present without having to fear the near devastation of 

 her forest riches." 



This, however, refers practically only to the State forests, and it 

 is well known that enormous areas of private forests have of late 

 years been worked out wholesale. On the whole, I cannot find any 

 proof that Russia will be able to keep up her present export for 

 any length of time, not to speak of a further increase. Anyhow, 

 there cannot be any doubt whatsoever that the rate at which the 

 timber can be delivered on board ship must rise in the same 

 degree as the distance of transport from the forest to the sea-coast 

 increases. 



If we now sum up what has been said about European countries, 

 it is clear that the exports from Norway have already commenced 

 to fall off ; that those of Austria-Hungary must soon follow in the 

 same way ; that Sweden may increase her exports to a moderate 

 extent ; and that Russia is at present certainly a doubtful factor. 

 Under these circumstances the present deficiency of 2,620,000 tons 

 is sure to increase, because the European sources of supply are not 

 likely to meet an additional 600,000 tons required annually. 

 Personally, I should not be surprised if ten years hence the 

 deficiency amounted to two or three times the present quantity. 

 Let us see, then, what non-European countries can do for us. 



