138 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 



are furnaces for rectifying turpentine and for making pyro- 

 lignous acid. The latter product is obtained from birch 

 wood by a process of dry distillation. The greater part of 

 this product is taken to St. Petersburg, but the greater 

 part of the red tar commands a sale in the locality. 



' The following are details relating to the manufacture 

 of such articles obtained on the spot. From a cubic fathom 

 ef wood are obtained 25 poods of black tar, equal to 900 

 Ibs. English, and two poods or 72 Ibs. of turpentine ; and 

 in the manufacture they consume half a cubic foot of fire- 

 wood. 



' From a square fathom of birch they obtain 250 [?] 

 poods of pyrolignous acid. 



' How far these figures indicate the reasonableness and 

 propriety of the measures adopted may be determined by 

 a comparison of them with results obtained by scientific 

 operations, and with the returns made by other works of 

 the same kind elsewhere. The proprietor was desirous of 

 impressing on me that the establishment is not remunera- 

 tive, and hardly returns the working expenditure. The 

 quantity of acid manufactured is some hundred tons more 

 than suffices to meet the demand for it, and the turpentine 

 is scarcely equal in quality to what is required in the 

 market, and thus he accounted for the unretnunerative 

 character of the works.' 



I have visited this work, and the result of subsequent 

 years' experience seems to have proved that Monsieur B., 

 the proprietor, was correct in his views. The place was to 

 some extent in ruins ; there were piles of pine-tree roots 

 for the production of tar, and piles of birchwood for the 

 production of vinegar, but no work had been done there 

 for years. A solitary workman lived there in charge of 

 the place. The apparatus for the manufacture of tar had 

 been removed, and the supports for the retorts were in 

 ruins. This may also be said of the vinegar works, but 

 there was a new retort ready for erection, and it was 

 intimated that the proprietor had some intentions of 



