86 THE FORESTS OF RUSSIA IN EUROPE 



ment of the nation and the growth of industries depen- 

 dent on large areas of forests, is taking a preponder- 

 ating place in the national economy. Throughout the 

 empire the forests play a varying and important part. 

 In the industrial regions large amounts of timber and 

 fuel, etc., are required in work connected with ship- 

 building, railways, engineering works and chemical 

 works using wood. In the agricultural areas sylvi- 

 culture enables the more sterile parts of the tracts to 

 be planted up, as also the fixation of the moving sands 

 (to prevent the engulfing of valuable lands) and of 

 hills subject to erosion, ravines, etc. Protective belts 

 are planted to afEord protection against cold and 

 drying winds and shelter to cattle ; also to provide 

 fuel which is preferable to straw or cattle dung. In the 

 neighbourhood of large forest areas the agricultural 

 population work in the forests in winter to supplement 

 their incomes. The forests are also made use of for 

 grazing herds of cattle, and are also essential to their 

 protection throughout the long rigorous winter period. 

 The Kirghiz of the Asian steppes, for instance, find 

 shelter in the winter in the forests both for themselves 

 and their animals ; the woods also provide timber to 

 construct their houses and fuel for burning. To the 

 fishing industry the forests furnish material for the 

 construction of ships and boats and also prevent the 

 silting up of the rivers by maintaining a cover to the 

 soil of their catchment areas, thus preventing erosion 

 and denudation in the hills. Finally the large export 

 trade of forestry materials from Russia makes con- 

 siderable demands on her forests, in the management 

 and upkeep and exploitation of which a large popula- 



