SPECIES OF TREES 87 



tion finds employment. The forestry labourers proper 

 supplement their incomes during the long dark hours 

 of the winter by toy-making from materials obtained 

 in the woods. 



The greater number of the known European com- 

 mercial timber species of trees are to be found 

 in Russia in Europe, viz. Conifers — Spruces, Pines, 

 Larches, Silver Firs; Broad-leaved trees — Birch, 

 Aspen, Oak, Beech, Black Alder, Lime, Ash, Maple, 

 Plane, Elm, Willow, Black Poplar, Box, Walnut. The 

 chief species are found either as pure woods (of one 

 species only) or in mixed woods, the latter being the 

 commoner. Two-thirds of the total domanial forests 

 of the empire consist of conifers. The most extended 

 of these are the mixed conifer woods in which spruce 

 predominates ; then come the pure spruce woods. 

 The fir mixed woods follow in which the firs form the 

 chief species, then the pure fir woods. A fifth of the 

 total domanial forests are mixed woods of conifer and 

 broad-leaved trees, the former predominating. 



The common spruce (Picea excelsa) is the most widely 

 spread species, forming the chief tree of Northern Russia 

 and of Siberia. P. ajanensis also occurs. P. orientalis 

 is the Caucasian species and P. schrenkiana is the Thian 

 Shan. The spruce grows to a fine size, and is exceed- 

 ingly valuable. The Scots pine {Pinus sylvestris) 

 comei next in extended distribution ; it spreads farther 

 down towards Central Russia than the spruce. In the 

 Ural and Siberia the pine present is the Cembra (P. 

 cembra), valuable in Siberia for its seeds. In the 

 mountains of North Siberia the species present is Pinus 

 pumilio. In the Crimea P. taurica occurs and in the 

 8 



