100 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 



is called for, and this may be modified according as it may 

 be sought to secure along with this a supply of wood for 

 use or for sale. 



It must be apparent that none of these advantages are 

 secured by Jardinage. But on the other hand, there may 

 be found, in climatic changes and extended facilities for 

 agricultural operations, for which such climatic changes 

 would be favourable, compensation for the destruction of 

 forests, resulting from this destructive mode of exploitation. 



With regard to climatic effects, it may be stated that 

 while some countries have suffered in climate, as have 

 Spain and South Africa, from paucity of woods, and an 

 unequal distribution of what there are, there are countries 

 which suffer in climate from a superabundance of these, as 

 do Finland and the North of Russia. The humidity and 

 shade desiderated in the former, are in the latter in excess. 

 Though Russia is said to have a large portion of her area 

 forest lands, these are found chiefly in the Northern Zone. 

 Observations collected by the Agricultural Department of 

 the United States of America tend to show that to secure 

 the greatest climatic benefit from forests, the forests and 

 the arable land should bear a definite "proportion to each 

 other, varying with conditions, not only over extensive 

 areas, but over limited divisions of the country; and 

 students of Forest Science in Russia can contemplate with 

 calmness the possible disappearance of forests over exten- 

 sive areas of the Governments of Archangel and Olonetz, 

 provided adequate measures be adopted for the conserva- 

 tion of forests in the midland Governments of the Empire, 

 and for the extension of these by sylviculture in the south. 



In the North of Russia Jardinage may lead as certainly 

 to the destruction of forests as Cartage, or the burning 

 down of the trees with a view to rearing cereals for two or 

 for three years on the ground fertilised with their ashes ; 

 but this, which in some circumstances would entail a curse, 

 may there bring a blessing ; and meanwhile attention is 

 given to considering only how the mode of exploitation 

 followed may be carried on as advantageously as possible. 



