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112 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA.. 
where the bark has not closed over the wood, this being 
considered a sign of rot; also, that there shall be no 
branches within these 16 arshines, or 37 feet 4 inches. _ 
‘The lip may generally be seen wherever the root-rot 1s 
discovered by the sound the tree gives out when it is 
struck with the back of the axe, which, when all is right, 
should be a perfectly sound, hard, and somewhat deep note. 
The lip is situated generally high up the tree, and it is 
often the effect of a branch having died and fallen off, 
leaving a bare place. 
‘These logs are carefully bracked, or approved and 
assorted, by the bracker, who measures the breadth at the 
top, marks the number of vershocks which it is in diameter 
by certain chops on the edge, and then, by means ofa 
hammer cut with his initials, his initials are stamped in at 
the top and bottom of the log. 
‘When a ten-vershock tree, or twelve inches in diameter, 
is felled, sometimes another length can be taken off one 
of seven vershocks, twelve and a half inches in diameter 
at top, from the same tree. This, however, is seldom 
done, and it does not pay, for neither is the bottom 
length good nor the top of much value. The bottom 
length is too broad grained and very liable to rot, the 
top is generally full of knots. 
‘In the spring the Splavichick, or floater, comes with his 
artel, or company of men, and pushes the trees into the 
rivers, and sees that they go down to the place destined 
for their being counted by the Government official. If by 
chance a tree runs ashore, he is bound to get it off Heis 
provided with a boat-hook, and if it happens that he is on 
one side of the river, and the tree is stranded on the other, 
he gets on to a log which may be floating by him, and 
though standing on this round surface in the water, he is 
able by means of his boat-hook to paddle across the river 
without losing his balance. 
‘When the logs come to Podporog, they are caught by 
the booms stretched across the river; here they are 
