Having given these statistics, the writer goes on to show how grave the consequences of the present system of indiscriminate and wholesale destruction of the forests must inevitably prove, and urges that immediate measures should be taken to prevent further devastation. He states it emphatically as his opinion that if the whole of the trees in these districts, of the first and second growths — which form the staple of the export trade were to be divided by the number exported in one year it would be seen that the export supply would not possibly be sustained for a period of ten years. Taking a retrospective view, he states that in the year 1859 the exports of wood amounted to the value of 4,500,000 roubles, in ten years from which time it had increased to 15,000,000 roubles, and it has gradually gone on increasing during the past five years — thanks to the abolition of the duty — till it had in the preceding year reached the enormous sum of 32,000,000 roubles. Calculations are then entered into to prove that if the present system of the management of fortsts be persisted in, the utter annihilation of all the forests of the west and south-west country of the Dwina within the period of fifty years is inevitable. The rest of the report is taken up in an endeavour to prove to the owners of these large estates, &c., that their interests will in no way suffer by Government supervision interfering with the management of their forests, but that this will rather be the means of adding to the value of their property by increasing the price of wood, &c.
In an article in Le Marchandde Bois on the lumber trade of Riga, it is stated: — ' Of the ports of the Baltic provinces, Riga exports more lumber and timber than all the others, consequently a statement of the amount of the trade done at Riga will give some idea of the extent of the lumber trade of Russia in Europe. The details of the exports of Riga for a series of years, from 1871 to 1882, are taken from a recent official document issued from the bureau of commerce. The timber and lumber reaches Riga by the Dwina and its tributaries, and comes from the provinces of Livonia, Esthonia, Courland, Mohilev, and Minsk, in Lithuania. Notwithstanding the extensive devastation of the forests, carried on with no assurance of their renewal, the vast forests which formerly covered these provinces yet contain large reserves of timber of the best quality, but their continued depletion, with no provisions made for their future restoration,
should give rise to serious apprehension. The transport of the wood from the forests to the rivers, which is made by log waggons during the snows and frosts of the winter season, is attended with increased difficulties and cost when the winters are usually rainy, which is quite common; and the transport by water is also difficult on account of the shallowness of the waters and the strength of the currents; and in addition to this it is peculiarly difficult to safely run the rafts which are constructed to suit the special navigation of the streams. The large timbers are bound together and form the raft proper. On these are then placed laths, staves, clapboard, &c. It is said the manufactured stuffs brought to market in this way are limited in quantity. This is to be regretted, as persons who are acquainted with, the interior of Russia state that it would be much to the interest of the proprietors if they would prepare on their places in the interior the greater portion of the flooring, laths, deals, scantling, &c., as it is well known that large quantities of timber useful for these purposes are left to rot. It is also stated that the debris left by the loggers in the pine forests might be profitably distilled. But to bring about such necessary improvements and progress, the interior must have the benefit of better methods of communication with the markets than by the inefficient and tedious rafting system.
' The rafts are formed on the ice before it begins to break up, in order that advantage may be taken of the first rising of the waters. When this occurs the rafts usually arrive at Riga from eight to fifteen days thereafter.
' During the period above mentioned, from 1871 to 1882, there were exported from Riga 87,377,512 pieces of timber and lumber, or an average of 7,281,456 pieces per annum. The progress made in this trade since 1&71 is shown by the fact that in that year only 4,542,155 pieces were exported; whereas, in 1882, 9,184,199 pieces were exported.
' The total value, in silver, of the wood exported in that time was 122,342,708 roubles; a yearly average of
10,195,225 roubles. The value of^K'exports of 1882 placed at 12,911,072 dollars. A sm^r^rouble is worth about two shillings at present.