FORESTS ON THE DNIEPER. 183 



from the logs in landing them is carefully collected from 

 the mud of the Dnieper by the poor inhabitants, amongst 

 whom there is a lively trade in this material. The 

 Jewish population employ part of the materials received 

 in this way for manufacturing different small goods 

 from wood ; the sawdust goes for fuel ; brushwood is 

 strictly sorted in Odessa, and it is partly employed in 

 making baskets, which in many cases replace tubs, which 

 are veiy dear in this town. With the above retail sales 

 of firewood, in Odessa firewood is subjected to the most 

 careful sorting, the size of the billet, thickness, state of 

 rotteness, dampness, straightness of grain, everything is 

 taken into account, and expressed in kopecs. 



* The very construction of wooden buildings is done 

 most economically ; in most cases farmers of the middle 

 class use in building houses of medium size, being in 

 length 9 to 12 archines, in breath 7 to 8 archines, the 

 following quantity of forest materials : 



' For posts in the walls, for ties between the posts, and 

 for the beams of the ceiling, 10 pieces of 9 archine 

 beams, 5 vershocks thick ; for truss pieces, 20 pieces of 9 

 archine beams of the thickness of 3 vershocks ; to the 

 length beams they attach crossings of perches, and to the 

 truss pieces split perches, 50 pieces of 9 archine beams, 

 2 vershocks thick. 



' Further, for the making of doors and windows, about 

 5 beams, 9 archines long, by 4 vershocks thick ; boards, 

 7 archines long, by 4 vershocks broad, 8 pieces ; deals, 15 

 pieces, and some pieces of slabs, and two loads of brush- 

 wood. Neither deals or boards are used for the floor, 

 ceiling, or roof. Beams for walls are likewise not often 

 used. Such examples of economy will probably not 

 frequently be met with even in Prussia. 



' The variety of forest materials required in the wood 

 trade, as well with regard to kinds as with regard to 

 dimensions, makes it difficult to fix prices for these 

 materials, and considering the number of materials it 

 would be easy in the wood-yard to mix the prices. The 



