FORESTS ON THE DNIEPER. 155 



bark from dry places. The plantation of willow does not 

 present any difficulties ; and it can with great facility be 

 produced in many places of little use. On the river 

 Dwina and its confluents there can be no want of spaces 

 fit for such an economy. To determine the size of area 

 requisite in this case for producing a determinate quantity 

 of bark, we have no data as there is no data as to how 

 much bark is collected per desatin. For crushing the 

 bark many fabriques have steam crushing machines. 



'With regard to the value of other forest materials requisite 

 for the leather fabrication, we must remark that in the centres 

 of this fabrication, Bolchov and Jeletz, the prices of birch 

 and oak wood vary from 8 to 10 roubles ; aspen wood, 

 from 6 to 7 roubles ; tar, from 1 to 2 roubles ; pitch, 

 from 1 to 1 roubles. The prices for the last two articles 

 will soon be lower, because the considerable use made of 

 these for the wheels of carts for transporting goods will 

 soon be less, as with the building of railways the number 

 of carts going any great distance will not be so great. 



' The substitution of antracite for wood is being introduced 

 very slowly in Jeletz, as they say it costs 40 kopecs per pood. 

 At this price it of course cannot replace wood, which even 

 in the Jeletz district costs about one-fourth of that 

 less. With the opening of the Jeletz-Briansk railway 

 antracite will certainly be cheaper, and forest materials 

 will get dearer, so that the change must take place ; but 

 there is no danger to the sale of forest materials from 

 such a substitution, because the demand for them is 

 increased. 



* With regard to the substitution of turf for wood, al- 

 though this is possible in some districts, they seldom 

 attempt the working of turf. The greater number of the 

 peasantry consider it a sin to heat with earth ; and if with 

 the increase of workmen after the railroads are completed 

 they should work it in large quantities, meanwhile much of 

 the turf riches will be washed away by water, and will be 

 burnt out by the carelessness of the local population. 

 ' By this means the competition of turf and coal, 



