258 Russia. 



The two most northern provinces of Archangel and 

 Vologda, in size equal to all Germany, are wooded to 

 the extent of 75 and 89 per cent, respectively, and 

 the 14 northern provinces together contain nearly 

 one-half the entire forest area. Here the forest covers 

 64 per cent, of the land area, and nowhere below 20 

 per cent., and the acreage per capita ranges from 3 to 

 over 200. 



These largely unsettled provinces are the basis of 

 the active wood export trade, and, as in the similarly 

 conditioned areas of North America, the territory is 

 devastated by fires, which sweep again and again 

 over large areas without check. 



Southern Russia (excepting the Caucasus, is largely 

 prairie or steppe, forest cover sinking below 20 per 

 cent, on the whole, down to 2 per cent., and less than 

 one-half acre per capita. 



Altogether, one-half the country and three-fourths 

 of the population are, with less than 14 per cent, of 

 the forest area, exposed to a dearth of timber. 



The northern forest, the most important economic 

 factor, is composed largely of pure or mixed coniferous 

 woods (74%), principally Norway Spruce (34%) and 

 Scotch Pine (29.5%) with only slight admixtures of 

 larch and fir, and more frequently White Birch. 

 Open stand, comparatively poor development, and 

 slow growth, characteristic of northern climate, re- 

 duce its productive capacity, while frequent bogs 

 and other natural waste places outside of those pro- 

 duced by mismanagement reduce its productive area 

 by not less than 20 per cent. 



