which a regular system of fellings and regeneration of the areas cut over will be undertaken. These enumerations of the standing crop in the various forests brought out the pleasing fact that the number of trees of timbersize proved to be considerably greater than had been anticipated, especially in the northern districts. The

work is still uncompleted, and the Forest Department is as yet unable to definitely state the numbers of trees of timber-size ripe for felling.

The following table, based upon actual enumerations of some forests, has been drawn up for the ten Forest Districts in the country which are in the charge of Chief Forestry Inspectors:

Some 121,000,000 trees, of approximately 10" diameter and over, at 4' 3" above ground, therefore exist; and, in the present exceptional circumstances, considerable fellings could be made to remove old growing stock, ripe or over-ripe. Its removal, with the additional transport facilities which would doubtless in places require to be created, should place the Department in a far better position, and in a far shorter period of time than could have otherwise been hoped, to take up the many interesting sylvicultural questions which demand attention in these forests. The trees in the State forests are usually sold by auction standing, chiefly by the stem but also by volume. A deposit must be previously made by bidders, which is forfeited if the bid is not completed. The bids are submitted to a higher authority and may be refused or accepted; in the latter event the bidder completes his payment before felling and extracting the trees. These auctions for the big timber are carried on in August at large centres. Smaller auctions, at which the smaller material is disposed of, are held locally as may be required. Even here the offers have to be submitted to the district forest authority before they can be accepted. The chief difference between the two auctions, omitting the size of the timber, is that for the small material one year only is allowed between purchase and its removal from the area, whereas for the larger timber two or more years may be granted to the contractor to fell and extract

the trees purchased, these trees having previously been marked by the forest staff.

Latterly the Department has been working departmentally, i.e. felling and converting the trees in the forest itself and selling the converted material on the spot to purchasers. The Department appears to favour this method. But, except in abnormal circumstances, experience has shown, in other places where the method has been tried, that the trouble entailed usually so ties the hands of the staff that necessary inspection and protective work and the proper sylvicultural care of the forests are sacrificed, to the ultimate detriment of the woods themselves, although doubtless at the time a greater revenue is made. The departmental work in this instance is undertaken to supply Government Railways with sleepers and fuel for the engines, and with material for the three existing Government sawmills.

The following table for the twelve years 1898 to 1909 shows the numbers of stems sold at the main public auctions, the sales at these furnishing the best indication of the prices obtained for large-sized timber and of the increased demand during the period:

The drop in the mean price is explained by the fact that in 1908, 1909 the chief fellings were made in the great forests in the north, where prices always ruled lower than in the centre and south of the country; it was also to some extent attributable to the fact that the marking of trees for sale is now done on better sylvicultural lines. The selection is no longer made only

amongst the finest stems, as was formerly always the case, the system of cleanings having, as has been already stated, come into operation. In 1908 the total timber sold from the State forests amounted to 0.24 cubic metres per hectare (2 acres) of dry forest soil. The mean annual increment of wood put on per hectare has been valued at 1.5 cubic metre for the whole country. There should therefore be, and in fact is, a considerable excess of mature timber in the State forests.

The figures of exports from Finland in 1907 show the following forest produce exported from the country:

Paper pulp mills (mechanical and chemical), 1st class
Paper pulp mills (mechanical and chemical), fuel approx.
Wheels, blocks, rollers, etc.

704,975

350,000

13,500

Added to this were the amounts of wood utilised on lines of communication steam-boats, which consumed 250,000 cubic metres rough measurement. Railways absorbed in 1908 a total of 9,000,000 cubic metres as fuel and for other railway work; and telephones and telegraphs another 10,000 cubic metres. In round figures it may be said that in 1907 industries and exports utilised about 10,000,000 cubic metres of wood, net measurement. Now of this total only 1,303,582 cubic metres was of State forest origin. The remainder, a total of 8 millions of cubic metres net measurement, came from the privatelyowned forests of the country. This is an important point, for these private forests are by no means yet

exhausted; and therefore to the estimated total of 121 million trees with a diameter of approximately 10" and over at 4' 3" above ground existing in the State forests must be added a total probably as large, and in all probability far larger, standing in the privatelyowned forests.

It has been estimated that the domestic requirements of the population absorb 13,186,452 cubic metres, net measurement, in addition to the amounts given above. These materials are, however, of small size and do not affect the question from the point of view here considered. It is the commercial timber which exerts the chief influence on the exploitation of the forests; for it is the timber markets which demand the finest timber, the local requirements being satisfied with inferior qualities. It is the big markets which attract the private owners of woods, as also, to a considerable extent, the Government owner; since it is in these markets that the best prices are obtainable for the larger material which they are in a position to supply.

An endeavour has been made to point out in this article that in the forests of Finland there exists one direction at least to which the devastated countries may look to obtain materials at a reasonable price with which to repair the destruction wrought by the Great War. Those industries in the Allied countries which depend upon timber for their raw material may also hope to obtain a part of their requirements from these forests. But both these possibilities remain possibilities only. It will depend on the Governments being sufficiently far-seeing to come to some definite working arrangement between themselves and Russia before the war closes, if advantage is to be taken of existing opportunities. And the Finland forests, with their easy export facilities offered by their numerous waterways and available timber of the kinds which will be most in demand, Scots pine and spruce, present one of these opportunities. Are we in Great Britain going to see that it is taken in time?

E. P. STEBBING.