128 THE FORESTS OF FINLAND 



Added to this were the amounts of wood utilised on 

 lines of communication steam-boats, which consumed 

 250,000 cubic metres rough measurement. Railways 

 absorbed in 1908 a total of 9,000,000 cubic metres as 

 fuel and for other railway work ; and telephones and 

 telegraphs another 10,000 cubic metres. In round 

 figures it way be said that in 1907 industries and 

 exports utilised about 10,000,000 cubic metres of wood 

 net measurement. Now of this total only 1,303,582 

 cubic metres was of State forest origin. The remainder, 

 a total of 8,500,000 cubic metres net measurement, 

 came from the privately owned forests of the country. 

 This is an important point, for these private forests are 

 by no means yet exhausted ; and therefore to the 

 estimated total of 121,000,000 trees with a diameter 

 of approximately 10 inches and over at 4 feet 3 inches 

 above ground existing in the State forests must be 

 added a total probably as large, and in all probability 

 far larger, standing in the privately- owned forests. 



It has been estimated that the domestic requirements 

 of the population absorb 13,186,452 cubic metres net 

 measurement, in addition to the amounts given above. 

 These materials are, however, of small size and do not 

 affect the question from the point of view here con- 

 sidered. It is the commercial timber which exerts the 

 chief influence on the exploitation of the forests; 

 for it is the timber markets which demand the finest 

 timber, the local requirements being satisfied with 

 inferior qualities. It is the big markets which attract 

 the private owners of woods, as also, to a considerable 

 extent, the Government owner ; since it is in these 

 markets that the best prices are obtainable for the 



