18 THE FOREST LANDS 0$ FINLAND. 



including the destruction of forests ; and other penalties 

 are incurred by their carelessness. The damages are 

 likely to be exacted when there is some probability of 

 payment being obtained ; but it appeared to me that the 

 landed proprietors did not really care to do much in the 

 matter, as though forests are more profitable than is 

 regular agriculture, some compensation might be obtained 

 by a few years crops from the cleared ground ; and there- 

 after the trees would grow again. 



To extinguish forest fires there are adopted the usual 

 plans of beating with boughs the fire advancing in the 

 grass, cutting lanes, across which the fire may be unable 

 to spread, and burning a small portion of forest in advance 

 of the conflagration, keeping the new fire under control, 

 and extinguishing it when a small space has been cleared. 



According to one informant, after a forest had been 

 burnt, the same kind or kinds of trees as had grown there 

 before spring up rapidly ; according to another informant, 

 the new crop was generally birch. I consider both reports 

 correct, each in regard to the district in which my inform- 

 ant resided. 



When a forest is to be burnt for Sevanje or Sartage, 

 if there be any valuable trees there, these are first felled 

 and removed. In no case is any provision made for the 

 reproduction of the forest, this is left entirely to nature. 



Towards nightfall we reached Kuopia, which stands on 

 the shore of Lake Kalaawesi. It is a large but uninterest- 

 ing town, with a population of 5600 inhabitants. It was 

 founded in 1776. There is a pretty park on an island of 

 Lake Wappita Niemi ; and a fine view of the surrounding 

 lake-scenery may be obtained from the Observatory on 

 Pujehill, about four versts, well nigh three miles, from the 

 town, but which, in the clear atmosphere, appears to be 

 much nearer. 



Having accomplished all that I had purposed in visiting 

 Lake Saima at this time, I returned to Willmanstrand, 



