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. Ifthat 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 1} 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 costs 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 ouly 
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. 
