Forest Conditions. 237 



The rigorous climate makes a large consumption of 

 fuelwood necessary and, since houses are also mostly 

 built of wood, the home consumption is over 32 cubic 

 feet per capita. Over 10 million cubic feet of pine are 

 consumed in making tar, and a like amount for paper 

 pulp. 



The country generally is a tableland with occasional 

 low hills. The forest consists principally of spruce 

 (10 per cent, of the whole, mainly in the southeast) 

 and pine, the latter a variety of the Scotch Pine (or 

 species?), called Riga Pine which excels in straightness 

 of bole and thrifty growth. Aspen, alder and birch, 

 especially the latter, are considered undesirable weeds, 

 and fire is used to get rid of them. Basswood, maple, 

 elm, ash and some oak occur, and larch (Larix Sibirica) 

 was introduced some 150 years ago. 



Long, severe winters and hot, dry summers produce 

 slow growth, the pine in the north requiring 200 to 250 

 years, in the middle sections 140 to 160 years to grow 

 to merchantable size. 



Fires, used in clearing, have from time to time run 

 over large areas and have nearly killed out the spruce 

 except in the lowlands, but the pine being more resistant 

 has increased its area and in spite of the deterioration 

 of the soil by fire reproduces well. 



Originally the forest was communal property, but 

 Gustav Vasa (1524) declared all forest and water not 

 specially occupied to belong to "Grod, King and the 

 Swedish Crown," although he allowed the usufruct to 

 the people free of charge or nearly so. These rights 

 of user are still the bane of the forest administration. 



