THE PRODUCE OP FORESTS. 177 



increase in net imports of all European countries of late 

 years amounted to 600,000 tons. If the same rate of 

 increase lasts for another ten years, and there is every sign 

 of it, an additional six million tons a year will be required. 



But it will be said, why not work the forests in the exporting 

 countries more heavily ? In reply it must be pointed out 

 that Norway is already working her forests with a heavy 

 deficit by cutting more than grows annually, and this has 

 been known for some time past. Sweden was hitherto con- 

 sidered solvent in this respect, but official information lately 

 supplied by our representative at Stockholm and published in 

 a Parliamentary paper shows that, according to the statements 

 of the Swedish officials, the forests of that country are now 

 being worked with an annual deficit of 106,000,000 cubic feet. 

 Here, then, is another of our most important sources of supply 

 also beginning to fail us. Of the Austria-Hungarian exports 

 only small quantities come to this country, because half of them 

 go to Germany and the rest to various other countries. The 

 exports from Eoumania are small and do not affect the question 

 under consideration. There remains, then, Russia with Fin- 

 land. That country has enormous areas of forest, but it has 

 far greater areas without it. Moreover, a large proportion of 

 the so-called forest area does not produce timber fit for export. 

 Russia's population and industries are rapidly increasing. 

 Different views are taken of her capability to maintain her 

 export of timber. The author's personal opinion, ha\4ng 

 weighed the evidence on both sides, is that Russia is a 

 doubtful factor. At any rate, the authorities had, before the 

 outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war, taken measures to 

 restrict the working of the forests, for fear that some time 

 hence the available out-turn of the forests might fall short 

 of the requirements of the home consumption. 



It has, more than once, been said that the forests of Siberia 

 are of sufficient extent to make good any deficiency which may 

 occur. How erroneous such views are will be seen from the 

 following extract from a recent report of the Russian Finance 



M.F. N 



