114 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 



' The slab is first cut into shape, and the parts thus 

 removed are thrown away and burnt, or given to the poor 

 people. This means of getting rid of wood, however, is 

 not sufficient, a perpetual bonfire is kept near the works 

 to destroy these, and there are destroyed thousands of 

 pounds worth of wood. If that wood were only in England, 

 or if freight were not so very high, it would not be wasted. 

 The two sides are then cut off from each slab by the circular 

 saw, thus leaving two boards of 9 by 3 in., and two of 9 

 by 1J in., obtained from a seven vershock tree, are 12 in. in 

 diameter at the smallest end. 



'Formerly in the water-mills there were no circular 

 saws, so these side pieces were first sawn off, and then the 

 boards were cut. Now, however, it is different. The 

 sawing by steam takes about twelve minutes, that by 

 water fifteen to twenty minutes, to do an equal amount of 

 work. 



' The timber trade is not so destructive to the forests as 

 is the firewood trade, for, of course, the finest trees are 

 only chosen, the rest are left. They cast their seeds, and 

 a young growth is always coming up, which in the course 

 of years will produce fine trees adapted for sawing up into 

 planks. The firewood trade, on the contrary, lays bare 

 whole districts of beautiful wood country, and exposes the 

 land to the effects of the cold winds, and has a material 

 influence in changing the climate and soil of the country. 

 The wholesale destruction of forests has begun to be felt 

 by the people of St. Petersburg very severely. Formerly 

 wood cost 2 roubles 90 kopecs per fathom, seven feet 

 square, now it coats from 4 roubles 80 kopecs to 5 roubles 

 a fathom. 



' One of the principal reasons why the seven to eight 

 and a half vershock trees are best is, that not only 

 are the knots in the boards all sound and good, but that 

 the grain of the wood is far closer, and the inner or heart- 

 wood is greater in proportion than the outer or laburnum. 



