' The satisfactory state of the forests, with this exception, which is surpassing expectation, may be attributable in a great measure to the system of management adopted, bringing all as soon as practicable into a regular succession of growth, and after that subjecting them to a regular system of exploitation. Through this judicious course, and the carrying out strictly of the taxator or surveyor's specific directions, from the first introduction of the new regimt, the good results have been obtained.
' The number of woods in which the fellings are somewhat objectionable has been greatly diminished; and they are only to be met with in forests from which it is not easy to effect sales, and in which the course of management could not, without pecuniary sacrifice, be carried out within the prescribed time. The whole might be pronounced satisfactory if the restoration or renewal of the woods had not been so imperfect in some cases in consequence of the character of the soil in the locality of the forest.
' The sales in the regulated forests are made in accordance with the annual estimates sanctioned by the Minister of Finance. The wood sold was formerly delivered to the purchasers — some of it cut, as for example firewood, and some of it as standing timber, to be felled by himself; this was done chiefly with wood for buildings, and under an obligation to have it felled and removed within a specified time. Latterly, all is sold standing, so that the Forest Administration does not need to occupy itself with the felling of the trees, excepting in the mining districts; and this is done, although in some of the forests,
AREA, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT, Ac. 51
such as those of Plotsk, Lajnoss, Kshepitsk, and others, it would have been commercially advantageous to have sold the wood cut.
' The sale of wood from Crown forests was formerly made at a fixed price. Sales by auction were only made in exceptional cases, but within the last two or three years this has become the principal mode of sale. And thus the income from some forests has been increased 20 per cent.; but there are not a few forests the income from which has been diminished.
' This may be attributed to the circumstance that the general order issued to the local Forest Administration by the Central Administration was not given in detailed directions; and the administrators of forest estates, which could only command a local sale to the rural population around, had to sell much of the produce by auction to greater buyers, as they had more produce than supplied the local requirements, and it was of considerable value. The Central Administration having approved of the subdivision of sales, this was tried, but the sales were held in but a few places, and were made solely as an experiment, and the small consumers were not accustomed to buy standing trees direct from the Crown, but to get their wood from middlemen, who were Jews with capital at command. The good effects of auction sales have not yet developed themselves.
' The accessory preparations from forest products have only been manufactured to a limited extent in Poland. The fabricks met with are principally of tar, and are on the model of those used a hundre.d years ago — small and inconvenient, and when there are any of a larger and more comprehensive character, as for example, about Brok and Vishkoff, they are pointed out as something remarkable. The making of birch tar and lampblack is carried on to a limited extent. Bark for use in tanning is collected more in private forests than in those of the Government; but from the long time required for its production, and the supervision of the shrubs which is necessary, the quality is poor, and the price low.
' The depasturing of cattle in the forests, which is very injurious to these, though prohibited, is practised almost everywhere without permission. It was kept in check before the insurrection by raising the charge for grazing in the woods. It is to be hoped that this abuse will be rectified, so far as is compatible with rights lawfully acquired, so soon as the forests shall pass out of the transition condition in which they have been for the last five years.
' The collection of moss, fallen leaves, and twigs, is carried on chiefly through such acquired right; but the right is very limited, so the regulation of this presents fewer difficulties than the limitation or prevention of the feeding of cattle.
'The leased woods are confined to a very few forests; the revenue derived from them is trifling, although it might easily be increased. The sales by auction are only of fellings for one year.1
' The following is a statement of the cubic forest income and expenditure for the last three years: —
EXPENDITURE.