CHAPTER IX. 



DISPOSAL OF FOREST PRODUCTS. 



SECTION A. TIMBER EXPORTS. 



DR. IGNATIUS in his Statistical Notes, published in con- 

 nection with the International Exhibition in Paris in 

 1878, states 'that the forest products constitute more than 

 half of the entire exports from Finland, according to the 

 money value of these exports. The forest products which 

 constitute the greater portion of such exports consist of 

 sawn timber, boards, planks, laths, &c. It is not many 

 years ago since all the sawing was done by hand in 

 winter by the peasants, who then transported the planks 

 on sledges to the nearest port. Now there are to be 

 found at the mouth of almost all the great rivers, and on 

 many of the watercourses in the interior, large sawmills 

 moved by water or by steam. From remote forests logs 

 bound together, so as to form immense rafts, are floated 

 to these sawmills ; and sometimes it happens, that these 

 rafts are years in reaching their destination.' An account 

 of such rafts, of their appearance, and their structure, has 

 been given ante p. 13 in the narrative of what I saw on 

 my trip on the Saima See. 



The supply of timber to these sawmills is procured by 

 private enterprise, but it is anticipated that a change in 

 this particular may take place, seeing that the Govern- 

 ment is giving attention to the preparation of the water- 

 courses for the floatage of wood. In 1872 it was 

 calculated that the Crown forests were ready to deliver in 

 the bason of the Kemi about three millions of trunks, 

 and one million of logs or beams ; in the bason of the Ulea 

 700,000 trunks, and one million logs ; along the upper 



