' With regard to the importance of the crown forests of Kursk government in the wood trade we remark that the situation of these forests is very favourable as regards sales — 1st, Because crown forests are in better condition than private forests, although I must add that many of the latter are very satisfactorily preserved; 2d, because the crown forests form almost half the forests of the Kursk government; and 3d, because the greatest part of the crown forests are in districts that have less forests, and are more distant from the woods of the Dwina river belt governments of Tchernigov and Orel. We therefore suppose that cases of unsuccessful sales of wood cannot be explained by the competition of private forests, as many allege, but that rather the contrary takes place, because sales to peasants at a reduced price or one much lower than the market prices made to a considerable extent, must really tend to reduce prices, or stop for a time the sale not only from private, but even from crown estates, because these redactions draw after them a decrease of demand in the markets, and often consequently limit the extent of the wood trade.
' All the forest estates under crown management in the Kursk government form five forest districts: —
BELGOROD. KARATCHAN.
RUILSK.
Desatins. Faths. Desatins. Faths. Desatins. Faths.
Forest area, Lease sections, - Land belonging to guards, Under appurtenances, Waste land, -
LGOV.
KUKSK.
TOTAL.
Desatins. Faths. Desatins. Faths. Desatins. Faths.
Forest area, - - 22,736 Lease sections, - - 364
Land belonging to guards, 32 Under appurtenances, 982
Waste land, - - 454
* The general area of private estates is considered to be 200,000 desatins. In this are pear plantations, but the system of using these does not give sufficient reason to include them in the forest area; and besides this there are waste spaces, so that of actual forest area in private estates there is not more than in the crown estates, that is about 170,000; and the sum total of forests in the government is about 340,000 desatins, which for 1,827,000 inhabitants, gives a very small quantity. The greatest number of forest estates in the Kursk government are appropriated to supplying wood to the peasantry at a low price; the sales from the crown estates are only on 11,222 desatins 965 fathoms. From the sales of forest materials from this space was received —
1867, (before the end of the year), 20,236 „
1 Consequently in the latter years the gross income per desatin, exclusive of waste land and appurtenances, was about 2 roubles. But if we consider the income from sales in 1861 realising only 6,936 roubles, we remark that in six years the income nearly trebled itself. In 1867 there were fellings for ready money sales on some estates in the Kursk government — and this deserves the attention of specialists, because it presents data not void of some interest in discussing the subject of estimates.
' In the crown estates of the government of Kursk estimates were made, and in some estates there was not a full sale, the reason assigned was the high estimate of fellings; and therefore to the contracts of 1861 the clearings were offered by a new estimate.
'The estimates and the market prices present the following figures: —
Belgorod forestry and district —
1st Staritzk estate, - Graivoron district —
Kovensky,...
Shiskoffsky,
Korotchan forestry, Novoshelky district —
Michailov,...
Dmitrov district —
Kostin estate, - Ruilsk district and forestry—
Alexayeff estate, Pontivle district —
Botchagan estate,
Belgorod forestry and district —
2nd Staritzk estate, Lgoff forestry and district —
Kopesheosk,...
Borisosk, - Dmitrov district* —
Korobkinsk,
Desatins.
First Second Market Valuation. Valuation. Prices. Roubles. Roubles. Roubles.
* Of this district is not shown the Popovinsk estate, from which there was sold for 711 roubles, which, with 19,524 roubles, will make 20,255 roubles, shown above in the income for 1867.
First Second Market
Valuation. Valuation. Prices.
Desatins. Roubles. Roubles. Roubles.
Dmitrov district—
Menshikov, 15 340 180 220
Kursk forestry, Oboyan district —
Total, 112 17,233 7,582 9,412 Grand total, 24,073 13,770 19,524