CANADIAN DEPARTMENT 



825 



grass at the side of the right-of-way and this 

 spread to a small piece of timber and was 

 extinguished by the fire-ranger of the Lauren- 

 tide Company after burning about 3 acres. 

 The next day the defective engine was taken 

 out of service, a special patrolman put on with 

 a track velocipede to follow all trains, the 

 section foreman was severely reprimanded, 

 the master mechanic was hauled over the coals 

 and within four days the Forest Inspector 

 appeared on the scene and appraised the 

 damage and the matter is now before the 

 Claims Department for immediate settlement. 

 The Canadian Pacific Railway has determined 

 to stop forest fires and rid itself of the pest of 

 fire claims. All strength to its arm. 



The Quebec Government is taking another 

 step forward, a notice has been sent to all 

 limit holders in the Province sajdng that the 

 Government wishes to pass an Order-in-Council 

 making it obligatory on all persons lumbering 

 along the right-of-way of any railroad to 

 clear away and burn all tops and debris within 

 100 feet of the right-of-way. This measure 

 should have the strongest support of everyone 

 interested in the protection of the forests from 

 fire. It is quite time too that this should go a 

 step farther and all persons, lumbermen, 

 settlers and farmers cutting trees should be 

 compelled to bum their debris and slash. The 

 cost would not be large and being made 

 compulsory for all would only place the increase 

 on the consumer. In the long run, an insurance 

 against fires, by making logging easier and 

 travel in the woods more convenient and by 

 promoting reproduction and preventing dis- 

 eases such a measure would give added profit 

 instead of added cost. 



Experiments conducted by the Laurentide 

 Company with the Jensen tree planter this 

 spring, where twelve of these machines were 

 in use, show that in average country, open 

 fields and poplar and birch following fire and 

 averaging about 20 feet in height, that a man 

 and boy with a machine will plant 1,000 to 

 1,200 trees per ten-hour day, while a man 

 and two boys, the man making holes with a 

 mattock and the boys planting, will only 

 plant 1,000 trees per ten-hour day. Besides, 

 the trees planted with the machine are more 

 •firmly set, and the ground is less disturbed 

 than with the mattock. This is of value 

 •where there is a thick layer of dufE. The 

 mortality among trees planted with the ma- 

 chine is somewhat less than those planted with 

 the mattock, especially in open fields. 



A very interesting bulletin was issued by 

 the Commission of Conservation recently. 

 The National Domain in Canada and its 

 Proper Conservation, by Frank D. Adams, 

 Ph. D., D. Sc. This deals in a general way 

 with Agriculture, Forest Products, Water 

 Powers, Mines and Minerals, Fisheries and 

 ithe Fur Trade and is well illustrated and 

 ■contains interesting charts and tables, and 

 ■maps. This calls attention to the rapidly 

 ■diminishing timber supply and the necessity 

 of prompt and energetic measures for its 

 protection and conservataon. 



Chief Forester MacMillan, of British Colum- 

 bia, who is making a trip to South Africa, 

 Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan 

 and South America, in an effort to interest these 

 countries in British Columbia Timber, reached 

 England in the latter part of April and is busy 

 on the transportation problem, since the lack 

 of shipping is proving a serious handicap. 

 While in Europe Mr. MacMillan will investi- 

 gate the lumber markets in France, Italy and 

 Spain. 



In Quebec the dry weather has brought its 

 usual crop of forest fires but they are less 

 serious than usual. Quite a commentary on 

 the necessity of cooperative associations is 

 shown by the fact that the largest fires this 

 spring are on the limits of firms who have 

 refused to become members and who said that 

 their own men could handle the situation. It 

 has now been proved that men who have had 

 experience in fire ranging and fire fighting are 

 the only men competent for such work, and 

 the longer their term of service and the greater 

 their experience the more valuable they be- 

 come. The idea that any loafer around a town 

 can be picked up in time of emergency and 

 that he will make a competent fire ranger put 

 forward by many self styled practical men has 

 been thoroughly disproved. 



The June number of the Canada Lumberman 

 and Wood-Worker, is an "Export Number" 

 and contains much material of value to the 

 man or firm looking for export business. 

 Information about foreign measures, monies, 

 export regulations, markets, packing, customs, 

 etc., is given very fully and completely and 

 reflects much credit on the editor. 



Messrs. E. G. McDougall, C. S. Cowan and 

 L. R. Andrews have volunteered for the front. 

 They are all members of the British Columbia 

 Forest Service and Messrs. McDougall and 

 Andrews are members of the Canadian Society 

 of Forest Engineers. Mr. Ellwood Wilson 

 has been elected a member of the Society of 

 American Foresters. 



Mr. G. C. Pich^, Chief Forester of Quebec 

 has planted a number of thousand trees on 

 his estate at Burrill's Siding, thus setting a 

 good example to people in the Province. 



Mr. G. A. Gutches, the Head of the New York 

 State Ranger School at Wanakena spent three 

 days at Grand Mere inspecting the nursery 

 work and plantations of the Laiirentide Com- 

 pany. Mr. Gutches is a firm believer in the dis- 

 posal of logging debris by burning and the Lau- 

 rentide Company will give his ideas a trial in 

 their experimental logging operations. 



The British Columbia Government has 

 issued a circular letter to settlers and farmers, 

 embodying the regulations concerning fire 

 permits, giving rules for guidance when burn- 

 ing slash or brush in land clearing operations 

 and information as to what should be done 

 when fire breaks out. It also appeals to all 

 citizens to help eliminate the fire menace and 



