104 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 
the central and southern portion of Russia consists in a 
succession of fellings making a clean sweep, contiguous to 
each other. The extensive replenishment of extensive 
surfaces denuded by such fellings through seed cast from 
the adjacent masses of forest is very rare, and one has tried 
to introduce into the exploitation of timber forests (which 
for the most part is very irregular) instead of a clean sweep, 
a reserve of trees for sowing it; but the number and the 
quality of the trees left standing as a reserve do not corre- 
spond with the rules of forest art, nor do they accomplish 
the end designed. The execution of contiguous fellings 
frequently renders it necessary to wait a long time till the 
effective sowing has been secured before beginning to fell 
the portion next adjoining. This delay in felling is often 
injurious to the quality, and to the product of ripe wood, 
or of trees too old and subject to deterioration ; all of these 
inconveniencies have determined some foresters to take as 
their guide the scientific views given in foreign works of the 
last century, and to introduce the system of fellings by alter- 
nate bands. But these also have rarely given satisfactory 
results in the reproduction of the forests. The introduction 
of methods of natural re-sowing by successive fellings 
designed first to augment the production of the sowings, 
and then to protect from the wind the seedlings during the 
time necessary to their development without hindrance to 
their growth, and, in fine, the final felling is desirable 
But this course of replenishing fellings, with the thinnings 
or periodical fellings of improvement, are not met with in 
Russia, excepting in rare circumstances ; because the appli- 
cation of this the most rational method of replenishing 
the forest by natural and cheap sowings, encounters serious 
obstacles through the prevalent practice of giving to the 
eee the whole charge of felling and trimming in the 
orest. 
‘It is impossible to exaggerate the injurious influence 
which this usage exercises in Russia over the development 
of forest economy, and of sylviculture in general, for the 
superintendence of the woodman, during the felling of the 
