Forest Conditions. 231 



In the more southern tiers (excepting the Caucasus) 

 forest covers only 20% of the land area, sinking below 

 1% in the steppes and less than % acre per capita. 



The northern provinces, where the population is 

 sparse, are the basis of an active wood trade for export, 

 and the territory is being repeatedly devastated by fires, 

 which sweep over large areas without check. 



The northern forest, the most important economic 

 factor, is composed principally of Scotch Pine with only 

 slight admixtures of spruce, larch and fir, and more fre- 

 quently White Birch. Open stand, comparatively poor 

 development, and slow growth, characteristic of northern 

 climate, reduce its productive capacity, while frequent 

 bogs and other natural waste places outside of those pro- 

 duced by mismanagement reduce its productive area by 

 not less than 30 per cent. 



Toward the south, deciduous species become more fre- 

 quent, oak becoming the prevaling timber and forming 

 forests, with beech, maple, ash and elm as admixtures. 

 As the plains are approached pure deciduous forest 

 indicates the change of climate. The forest of the 

 Caucasus is principally of coniferous composition. 



3. Ownership. 



The larger part of the forest area of European Russia 

 is in control of the Crown or State, namely, nearly 380 

 million acres, or over two-thirds of the whole, and a sim- 

 ilar amount in Asia, besides the so-called appanage for- 

 ests of 14 million acres set aside for the support of the 

 court. 



This area (in Europe and Asia) of round 680 million 

 acres (estimated) is, however, not the exclusive property 



15 



