Planting in Plains and Sand Dunes. 277 



recovery was done. Not until 1891 and 1892, when 

 two droughty famine years had led to an investiga- 

 tion of agricultural conditions, was a systematic 

 attempt proposed, and this was begun in 1897. By 

 1902, some 80.000 acres had been fixed, and by 1904, 

 150,000 acres. In this work the government con- 

 tributes 36% of the cost, the benefited communities 

 the balance. In addition, 1 ,500 square miles of swamps 

 in Western Russia were reclaimed by extensive canals 

 and recovered with meadow and forest at a cost of 

 $300,000, of which the Imperial Treasury paid one- 

 third, the owners one-half, the local government the 

 balance. 



While rational forest management, as we have seen, 

 is far from being generally established, the govern- 

 ment tries at least to prevent waste and to pave the 

 way from exploitation to regulated management. 



FINLAND. 



The Grand Duchy of Finland in the northeast of 

 Russia is still in some respects independent of Russia. 



Finland, the "land of a thousand lakes" and of 

 most extensive forests, is hardly less important as 

 a wood producer than Russia itself; its wood exports 

 amounting at present to around 200 million cubic 

 feet and over 25 million dollars in value, represent 

 over 50 per cent, of its trade, and its most -important 

 resource. 



Settled in the 7th century by an Aryan tribe, the 

 Finns, congeners of the Magyars, who subdued the 

 aboriginal Laplanders, Finland became by conquest 



