152 FORESTS OF SIBERIA AND TURKESTAN 



the Chinese timber market in 191 1, and his figmes 

 showed that about 16,000,000 roubles' worth of timber, 

 in the raw state and converted, was imported into 

 China, the greater part being suppHed by Japan and 

 the United States. With better organisation, how- 

 ever, it should not be difficult for the Amur region to 

 compete with the above-mentioned countries, more 

 especially as the Chinese market is not particular 

 about the quality of its timber, cheapness being the 

 first desideratum in the eyes of the Celestial. Second- 

 or third-class timber, and even the material obtained 

 from the crowns of the trees, the " tops " of the forester, 

 is said to be good enough for this facile market. Cer- 

 tainly no more convenient market could exist, since it 

 should enable the forest officer to clear his forests of 

 all inferior material, and get paid for doing so into the 

 bargain — a most enviable position. 



Apparently the greatest difficulty to be faced in 

 organising the Amur timber trade is the labour one. 

 The State, for various reasons, has set limits to the 

 employment of Chinese labour, and owing to the 

 sparse population it is extremely difficult to obtain 

 Russian labourers locally. The heavy expense con- 

 nected with importing labour from great distances 

 makes a large hole in the profits from the timber 

 business. It is anticipated that this difficulty will 

 disappear, as, owing to the rich nature of the Amur 

 district, the population is likely to increase rapidly. 



The revenue obtained from the State forests of 

 Asiatic Russia is as yet insignificant when compared 

 with their unquestioned value. As we have shown, 

 the forests have been scarcely touched as yet. 



