132 FORESTRY IN LITHUANIA. 



There was received in 1861, 

 1862, 

 1863, 

 1864, 

 1866, 



4,605 roubles. 

 6,895 

 6,567 

 7,032 

 10,182 



' In 1866 the average price of a desatin was in the 

 Porctihie forest circuit, 18 roubles ; in Dorogo- 

 bouje, 100 roubles; in Donhovchina, 19 roubles; in 

 Gjatsk, 89 roubles ; in Bielsk, 19 roubles : the average for 

 the whole governments, 49 roubles. In the statistical 

 description of the government of Smolensk with regard to 

 forests by Herne, it is seen that in 1861 the average 

 price was 32 roubles, consequently the demand and price 

 of crown woods increase with every year, and as to the quality 

 of the sold estates, to what kind of forest materials the 

 increase of the revenue is due. Firewood and building 

 materials of small dimensions, offered for sale, in the 

 majority of cases had no buyers; the increase of the 

 revenue was solely owing to a growing demand for forest 

 materials of large dimensions, in consequence of fewer 

 offers of the same from private estates. Firewood, 

 and forest materials of small dimensions, are bought 

 on private estates; and by an increased felling of 

 these, the owners strive to make up the deficiency of 

 income from their estates which proceeds from the 

 assortments sold being of lower quality. The offers 

 of firewood and small building materials on private estates 

 is so considerable that the crown forests cannot compete 

 with them, the more so that for 135,000 desatins of 

 crown forests there are 1,526,000 desatins of private 

 forests : that is, for 1 desatin of crown forests there are 11 

 desatins of private forests; or, taking 15 fathoms of firewood 

 to 1 desatin, we receive 165 fathoms from private estates 

 to 15 fathoms for crown. The competition is unfavourable. 

 The constant rising of prices, and the demand for big 

 timber, show the diminution of these latter in the private 

 estates ; and as such materials require a recurrence of 

 fellings every 100 or 150 years, we think that the im- 

 portance of the crown forest estates in the government of 



