RUSSIA'S UNTOUCHED.WEALTH

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 750, 24 February 1910, Page 8

RUSSIA'S UNTOUCHED.WEALTH

'According .to the latest' statistics,6ays ithe "Anglo-Russiaoi Gazette," Russia has over - one thousand four hundred million ;acres of forests,'of which two-thirds are, 'practically speaking, an unknown quantity as to value and qnalitj;. It' is estimated that Western Siberia alone possesses 465,000,000 acres, of ; virgiii forests. Eastern Siberia has alEo her ex'tensive virgin timber lands. The _extent and value :of these timber tracts 'will be un'derstood when it -is known that whole :Governments;; (small 'nations) ' are almost entirely covered by,forests. -Forests cover 63' per cent, of the total area of , the' Olonetz Government; ,72 per cent, of'the area of the Archangel Government'; 87 per cent- of the area of the Wiatka Government and 93 per cent, of ; the;' Vologda Government.; ,Of the total arpa of thesefour States over 500,000 square miles, ro • 'present nothing: but rich forest land, an 'oxtont of country'over four times' the area, of,- the '. Kingdom.Extensive tracts of, .timber. lands; both 1 in European and Siberian, Russia have neyer seen tho foot of. insn; they have no roads' or;,even ."tr.hils.". Expeditions ore 'to bo. brganikidjthii'j'ear for the purpose; of explormg .tieso.virgin; fbrcsta,- ■ I