132 The National Geographic Magazine 



and is difficult to work. Compared 

 with the Yalu timber, it is about like 

 the Norway pine compared with the 

 white pine. It is, in fact, very much 

 like the poor grade of Norway pine. 

 What I have seen may not be the best 

 quality, however. I am informed that 

 the forests of Siberia and Sakhalin 

 Island are quite extensive, and that the 

 lumber production in that section is 

 susceptible of great development. 



This information I have from very 

 reliable sources, but I can not write of 

 it from personal observation. Mr Clark- 

 son, formerly of Portland, Oregon, has a 

 sawmill and sash and door factory at or 

 near Vladivostock, and is reported to be 

 having much success in this enterprise. 



Another point of Russian competition 

 in the lumber business is developing on 

 the Sungari River, where the Chinese 

 Eastern Railway crosses it, about 80 

 miles south of Harbin. Timber in con- 

 siderable quantities is run down this 

 river to this point and is being made 

 into lumber by the Chinese method, 

 several hundred men being engaged in 

 the work. I am of the opinion that 

 lumber from this source will never 

 reach the sea in competition for the 

 trade of China, but it will be a splendid 

 source of supply for railway use and 

 for the city of Harbin. 



This timber, so far as I have been able 

 to find out, is a fair grade of white pine, 

 but the logs are all small. Whether this 

 is due to the difficulties of driving on 

 the stream or to the small growth in the 

 forests, I have not been able to learn. 



Harbin is today only three years old, 

 but it is one of the greatest cities of Asia, 

 and has the largest European population 

 of any Asiatic city, containing 60,000 

 Russians, besides the soldiers. At Har- 

 bin there are two small sawmills cutting 

 timber from the Sungari River, coming 

 from below the city. On the railway 

 line between Harbin and Vladivostock 

 there are two large sawmills, the ma- 

 chinery for which cost, in place, 150,000 



rubles ($77,250). These mills are en- 

 gaged in cutting lumber at present for 

 the railway and for the town of Harbin. 



It is clear that Russia intends to pro- 

 vide for all the requirements of lumber 

 in Manchuria and Siberia, with a pos- 

 sibility of entering the Chinese market. 



The government has established a 

 ruling that all railway and government 

 supplies must be purchased from the 

 Russian companies if possible. This is 

 encouraging many industries in Man- 

 churia, of which the lumber industry 

 is one. 



The recent purchase of considerable 

 quantities of lumber from the United 

 States was due to the haste in providing 

 quarters for Russia's army in Man- 

 churia. 



The railway will require many ties, or 

 sleepers, as these decay very fast, many 

 having to be replaced before the railroad 

 is completed. This is due to the fact 

 that the railway is not yet ballasted, and 

 the ties are laid deep in the earth and 

 sand, not even the ends being exposed 

 to the air. These ties are n ow coming in 

 considerable quantities from Siberia and 

 Japan, and I do not believe it possible 

 for our country to compete for the trade. 



The Russians are familiar with the 

 lumber, wheat, and flour business, and 

 as they have the natural advantages and 

 the earnest support of their banks, rail- 

 ways, and government throughout Man- 

 churia, I am convinced that their devel- 

 opment of these industries is likely to 

 soon close this market to our country in 

 these products, and if they show intense 

 energy and enterprise they will become 

 severe competitors in the great markets 

 of China for flour, especially, and pos- 

 sibly for lumber. 



There is none of the lumber that I 

 have yet seen equal to the Oregon pine, 

 but much of it is good enough for the 

 common markets of China and will be 

 accepted for most purposes. 



Henry B. Miller, 



Niuchwang. 



