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AMERICAN FORESTRY 



been much over-estimated and that an intelli- 

 gent stock taking is essential for the develop- 

 ment of rational plans for conservation and 

 proper use. In British Columbia during 

 1913-14 data have been collected over 200,000 

 square miles at an average cost of 6 cents per 

 acre. This low cost is explained by the fact 

 that the British Columbia Government liad at 

 great cost already collected a good part of the 

 data, as had also the Dominion Forestry 

 Branch, Canadian Pacific Forestry Branch, 

 and many Limit Holders. It is hoped that 

 one more year's work and the report on the 

 resources of British Columbia will be com- 

 pleted, and will give land classifications, forest 

 regions, silvicultural types and range of 

 principal tree species. 



In Saskatchewan about 60,000 square miles 

 have been covered and another year will about 

 complete the work. So far the investigations 

 show that the total amount of spruce in the 

 timber limit belt is discouragingly small. Fire 

 is largely responsible for this and better pro- 

 tection is urgently needed. 



While the figures thus far obtained are only 

 rough approximations, they show clearly the 

 depleted condition of the forests which beyond 

 a doubt is due to fires set by the white man. 

 who found many times the present stand of 

 timber. 



Investigations were made by Dr. C. D. 

 Howe, of the Faculty of Forestry of the Uni- 

 versity of Toronto, in cooperation with the 

 British Columbia Forest Branch, of the condi- 

 tions under which the reproduction of com- 

 mercial tree species occurs most advanta- 

 geously in the coastal region. The report shows 

 that nature unaided will not satisfactorily 

 replace forests on cut-over and burnt-over 

 lands. Also that the burning of the logging 

 slash not only reduces the fire hazard, but by 

 exposing the mineral soil favors the reproduc- 

 tion of Douglas fir. Where sufficient seed 

 trees are left after cutting, succeeding forest 

 fires gradually reduce their number until there 

 are not enough to restock the forest by natural 

 means. 



The steady improvement in Railway Fire 

 Protection is a source for great congratulation. 

 All the Provinces with the exception of Nova 

 Scotia are cooperating with the Railway Com- 

 mission and this Province is still much behind 

 the times. Many provincially chartered roads 

 have been brought under the jurisdiction of 

 the Railway Board and this will materially 

 improve the situation during the coming season. 

 The Government-owned railways are still a 

 source of danger, and it is to be hoped that they 

 will come into line. The Department of Land 

 and Forests of Ontario in cooperation with the 

 Grand Trunk Railway have done an specially 

 creditable piece of work in cleaning up the 

 right-of-way through The Algonquin Park and 

 thus reducing the fire hazard. This last season 

 there were many fires there. The Department 

 of Indian Affairs has also cooperated with the 

 Canadian Pacific in cleaning up the right-of- 

 way through the Shawanaga Reserve. 



An anomalous situation still exists in the 

 Dominion Forests Lands administration. The 

 reserves are all under the Forestry Branch 



which has a fine staff of trained men, but the 

 lands for which licenses to cut have been 

 granted, although situated in the Reserves, are 

 handled by the Timber and Grazing Branch 

 which has not one trained forester in its employ. 



The situation in Ontario still needs improve- 

 ment. There are many millions of acres of 

 cut-over or burned-over lands in this Province 

 which are now practically without fire protec- 

 tion, but which contain a great deal of young 

 growth and much timber at present below 

 merchantable size, but which if protected from 

 fire would ultimately become merchantable. 

 The present annual revenue is about $2,000,000 

 from woods and forests and if this is to be 

 maintained new areas must continually be 

 opened up for lumbering and this of necessity 

 means the protection of these lands or else 

 when they are wanted there will be no timber 

 on them. At present large future revenues are 

 being sacrificed in order to keep down present 

 expenses and show a surplus. This is mostly 

 due to a popular demand but is a ruinous 

 policy, and the situation might be met by 

 setting aside each year definite areas to be 

 protected which seem most certain to become 

 well stocked with timber. Also the question 

 of watershed must be considered, for Ontario 

 is very dependent on her water powers. 



The question of the Trent Watershed is of 

 vital importance. Most of this watershed is 

 non-agricultural land and chiefly valuable for 

 forestry purposes. On account of financial 

 considerations it is necessary to protect more 

 valuable lands in other parts of the Province, 

 but as the Trent Canal is dependent on this 

 watershed for its success and the Dominion 

 Government has spent some $10,000,000 on this 

 project its protection is of vital importance, 

 and it is believed that under the circumstances 

 the Dominion Government would be amply 

 justified in protecting this Territory in order 

 to safeguard the investment already made and 

 future expenditures. In order to do this some 

 arrangement could be made with the Province 

 of Ontario amd this area turned over to the 

 Dominion Forestry Branch. 



Mr. R. H. Campbell, Dominion Director of 

 Forestry, spoke on the forest fire situation 

 during 1914, contrasting it with the season of 

 1910, when the conditions were very similar. 

 There was more damage in the former than in 

 the latter but this was due to two fires which 

 caused four-fifths of the damage and which 

 occurred in such an out of the way locality in 

 the mountains that it was practically impossible 

 to reach them. There has been a great improve- 

 ment in permanent works on the Dominion 

 Reserves, there being now some 300 miles of 

 roads, 1,249 miles of trails, 500 miles of plowed 

 fire-guards, 400 miles of cut fire lines and 200 

 miles of telephone lines. The system of look- 

 out towers has proved of the greatest value 

 and they are being constructed not only in the 

 Reserves but on high points outside. They 

 now number eighteen. Rangers now have 

 cabins so that they are always near their work. 

 The railways have improved very greatly and 

 the situation in regard to railway fires is well 

 on the way to efficiency. There is one notable 

 exception. The Edmonton, Dunbegan & Peace 



