MATERIAL AVAILABLE 93 



given to the planting of areas of waste land in popu- 

 lated districts poor in forest and in planting shelter 

 belts for stock and the protection of the crops ; also, 

 as already mentioned, in the planting up of shifting 

 sands and areas subject to erosion in the hills. 



The next point of importance, a most interesting 

 one to Great Britain, is the question of the amount 

 of materials available for felling and more especially 

 for exportation in the Russian forests. A few years 

 ago it was officially recorded by the Russian forestry 

 authorities that they were cutting far below what is 

 called the possibility ; in other words that the in- 

 crement put on in the woods each year was far in 

 excess of the amount of increment, i.e. the volume of 

 timber, taken out. Also that large areas of old woods 

 which had practically ceased putting on increment 

 and were going back, i.e. losing their sale value, 

 remained standing owing to the impossibility of selling 

 and felling them. The Government estimate of the 

 fellings was that they were removing something under 

 50 per cent, of the possibility. Matters have altered 

 somewhat since. But there would appear to be a 

 considerable margin to work upon. Of course the 

 chief deterrents to heavier fellings have been scanty 

 population, absence of industries requiring wood, and 

 want of communications, roads, etc., the latter the 

 chief and greatest obstacle. The following example 

 will render this obvious. The larger portion of the 

 State forests are found in the north in the Governments 

 of Archangel and Vologda. Owing to imperfect com- 

 munication these forests are difficult to work. Conse- 

 quently whereas the annual fellings laid down were 



