156 FORESTRY IN LITHUANIA. 



however desirable, is almost impossible ; unfortunately 

 other kinds of fuel : kiziah (dried cow dung), louzga, and 

 straw, can be much used ; this will lead to the exhaustion 

 of the fields, which will be more serious than the exhaus- 

 tion of the woods ; for however fertile the land may be, with 

 such economy it may be soon converted into unproductive 

 ground. If the products of the first necessity are getting 

 every year dearer, the principal reason of this dearuess is 

 not so much financial difficulties as the wasteful 

 system of carrying on agricultural economy. 



Sales from the Crown Estates of the Orel Government. 



' The wood trade in the crown estates, or as they say, sales 

 from the crown estates of the Orel government, present 

 facts worthy of attention, and partly confirm our views 

 of the importance in the wood trade of the wood belt 

 of the Orel government 



In 1863 were sold 466 desatins for 16,785 roubles, or 36 roubles per des. 



1864, no information of the 

 number of desatins 



sold, 23,251 



1865, were sold 945 desatins for 34,524 35 



1866, 692 38,625 55 



' That is, the prices in the course of four years were 

 nearly doubled. The principal mass of the wood sales is 

 in the wood belt of the Orel government, where there is 

 rather an excess then a want of forest materials ; and 

 therefore the whole area of clearings offered for sale 

 was not bought. For instance, in 1863 940 desatins 

 were offered for sale, but only 466 desatins were bought ; 

 in 1865, 2004 desatins were offered, and 945 were bought ; 

 in 1866, 2094 desatins were offered, and 692 were bought. 



'Comparing 1865 with 1863, we see that double the 

 area was then bought ; but the price per desatin remained 

 almost the same, consequently the increased demand did 

 not lead to higher prices, because the quantity offered for 

 sale exceeded the demand. With a more commercial 



