' Besides the effect of these circumstances on the sale of forest materials, from the estates of the northern group, a great influence comes from a number of works going on near the estates of the northern group, and principally at Kiev. When there is scarcity of work the rural population occupy themselves with the sale of materials that cost them nothing, taken from the private, and perhaps even from the neighbouring crown estates. The result is sometimes an increase in the quantity of forest materials left in the hands of the more considerable dealers, and these remains, particularly those of firewood and small building materials, are not without influence on the price of forest materials of the next season.
' Still greater unity to the forest estates round Kiev is given by the Kiev-Balta and Kiev-Koursk railways. These roads give a facility for the disposal of firewood for use of the railways themselves, and for the sale of building materials in the districts possessing little wood in the governments of Tchernigov, Kiev, and Podolia.
1 The southern group of forests of the Kiev government is at a considerable distance from the northern, and consists of the forest districts of Svenigorod, Tchiguirin, and Tcherkazy, This group of forests, in regard to wood trade, is similar to the estates of Novornigorod and Krilov forest districts in the government of Kherson, and Krementchug, government of Poltava. All the estates of these forest districts are not far from one another, and make, as it were, one whole area, at a considerable distance as well from Kherson as from Kiev and Poltava, where the principal administrations over the forests are situated.
4 This group of forests being near the parts of the governments of Kiev, Kherson, Ekatherinoslav, and Poltava, possessing little wood, competes successfully with the floated wood, with the exception only of those estates (principally near Krementchug) which are very near the Dnieper, almost on the shore.
' In this group of forests the great dealers cannot concentrate in their own hands the forest materials prepared by the small dealers, but must compete with them. This circumstance is influenced principally by the great demand for forest materials by the local consumers, small and great, particularly sugar refiners. The Balta- Krementchug railway will exercise a great influence on prices, as it will afford a possibility of taking these materials to the government of Kherson, between Elizabethgrad, Olvicopol, Bobrinetz, and Voznessensk, where at present there is great want of forest materials in consequence of the difficulty of conveyance. Such expectation of forest trade in these places has occasioned already in 1867 great sales from crown estates: for 25,000 pine trees 177,000 roubles was paid. Such prices did not exist before.
' Under these circumstances, the forests of the Kiev government, being on the boundary of the forest belt of the Dnieper basin, promise a considerable increase of revenue from forests. The following data may give an idea of the importance of the wood trade on the crown estates of this government: —
Roubles. Roubles. Roubles. Roubles. Roubles.
Sold at a reduced tax, - 918 960 860 1,301 3,156
Given gratis, - 4,532 3,544 6,774 8,677 20,116
'The northern group of forests of the Kiev government comprise the following —
Kiev, 1st District, Radonisk, 1st,
The southern group —
Tchigivirin District, 15,632 1 158 656 13,812:
' Besides these forest districts there is also the Berdicher, which by its position, and conditions of sales, I forms part of the Jitomir forest district governments of Volhinia, and is not a separate forest district of the government of Kiev,'
Forest area.
On Belonging Lease, to Foresters.
Appurtenances.
Waste.
Desatins.
Des.
Des.
Des.
Des.
CHAPTER IV.
IN the account given of forests and forest management in the valley of the Dnieper, allusion is made to certain forests being organised in contradistinction to others which are not so; and I have stated that in bringing under consideration the forestry of Lithuania I was influenced by the circumstance that this would supply an opportunity of bringing under notice the forest management of Russia, as seen in the administration of forests comprised in the Imperial domains.