The Twentieth Century Volume 79 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 Excerpt: ...the industrial regions large amounts of timber and fuel, etc., are required in work connected with shipbuilding, railways, engineering works, and chemical works using wood. In the agr1cultural areas sylviculture enables the more sterile parts of the tracts to be planted up, as also the fixation of the moving sands (to prevent the engulfing of valuable lands) and of hills subject to erosion, ravines, etc. Protective belts are planted to afford protection against cold and drying winds and shelter to cattle; also to provide fuel, which is preferable to straw or cattle dungIn the neighbourhood of large forest areas the agricultural population works in the forests in winter to supplement their incomesThe forests are also made use of for grazing herds of cattle, and are also essential to their protection throughout the long rigorous winter period. The Kirghiz of the Asian steppes, for instance, find shelter in the winter in the forests both for themselves and their animals; the woods also provide timber to construct their houses and fuel for burning. To the fishing industry the forests furnish material for the construction of ships and boats, and alS0 prevent the silting up of the rivers by maintaining a cover to tllfl soil of their catchment areas, thus preventing erosion and denudation in the hills. Finally the large export trade of forest1'Y materials from Russia makes considerable demands on her forests. in the management and upkeep and exploitation of which a large population finds employment. The forestry labourers p1'Pe' supplement their incomes during the long dark hours of the winter by toy-making from materials obtained in the woods. The greater number of the known European commercial timber species of trees are to be found in Russia. in Europe---namely...