104 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 



the central and southern portion of Russia consists in a 

 succession of fellings making a clean sweep, contiguous to 

 each other. The extensive replenishment of extensive 

 surfaces denuded by such fellings through seed cast from 

 the adjacent masses of forest is very rare, and one has tried 

 to introduce into the exploitation of timber forests (which 

 for the most part is very irregular) instead of a clean sweep, 

 a reserve of trees for sowing it ; but the number and the 

 quality of the trees left standing as a reserve do not corre- 

 spond with the rules of forest art, nor do they accomplish 

 the end designed. The execution of contiguous fellings 

 frequently renders it necessary to wait a long time till the 

 effective sowing has been secured before beginning to fell 

 the portion next adjoining. This delay in felling is often 

 injurious to the quality, and to the product of ripe wood, 

 or of trees too old and subject to deterioration ; all of these 

 inconveniencies have determined some foresters to take as 

 their guide the scientific views given in foreign works of the 

 last century, and to introduce the system of fellings by alter- 

 nate bands. But these also have rarely given satisfactory 

 results in the reproduction of the forests. The introduction 

 of methods of natural re-sowing by successive fellings 

 designed first to augment the production of the sowings, 

 and then to protect from the wind the seedlings during the 

 time necessary to their development without hindrance to 

 their growth, and, in fine, the final felling is desirable. 

 But this course of replenishing fellings, with the thinnings 

 or periodical fellings of improvement, are not met with in 

 Russia, excepting in rare circumstances ; because the appli- 

 cation of this the most rational method of replenishing 

 the forest by natural and cheap sowings, encounters serious 

 obstacles through the prevalent practice of giving to the 

 purchaser the whole charge of felling and trimming in the 

 forest. 



' It is impossible to exaggerate the injurious influence 

 which this usage exercises in Russia over the development 

 of forest economy, and of sylviculture in general, for the 

 superintendence of the woodman, during the felling of the 



