FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 49 



birch in its neighborhood, and others are located at various points 

 in the tract. On Seboois stream a camp was found cu'ting this 

 wood and opportunity to study the trees both down and standing 

 found. As is the case with all species grown up in this way, the 

 largest trees are not the best or most promising. Twenty inches- 

 in diameter perhaps represents the maximum of development, but 

 trees approaching that size limb out low, and are valueless for lum- 

 ber. In rcrtl birch growth, six to twelve inches is the usual size, 

 and of these trees the smaller are frequently the belter Seventy 

 years is evidently the beginning of old age with birch, for many of 

 the trcfs on this ground showed internal discoloration, softening 

 and other imperfections. Not very many more years could birch 

 be expected to dominate the ground. As with poplar, qu ckly 

 growing up, it early dies out as well, and leaves to slower, tougher 

 species the occupancy of the ground. 



The value of white birch, when it can be made available is as 

 great as almost any class of timber. It quickly brings a crop to 

 maturity — in thirty or forty years the larger trees of a birch grove 

 will be fit for spool stuff, and successive cutting may be made 

 thereafter. It frequently stands in nearly clear groves and thickly 

 covers the ground From fifteen to twenty cords is not an unusual 

 yield for birch land on the territory of this fire. Located where it 

 can be hauled to market it commands a good stumpage price. On 

 the other hand birch is not a long lived tree, and it seems probable 

 that it will not on this tract hold its dominance or retain its quality 

 for very many ye irs longer. Similar in all respects with poplar. 

 Neither of these trees is extensively found in virgin forest, for they 

 do not readily start under its shade. On land where they form the 

 dominant growth hardly a small specimen will be found In requir- 

 ing plenty of sunlight for their early growth pine, birch and poplar 

 are alike They are therefore the characteristic species of burnt land. 



Probably it will be hailed as a dangerous heresy, but it seems to 

 me nevertheless true, that fire, from the money point of view, is 

 not always a damage. To clear off a thin, culled over growth of 

 deformed individuals and undesirable species to be replaced by 

 purer growths of these quick growing species characteristic of 

 burnt land, is sometimes the means of profit. Whenever in the fu- 

 ture we come to the cultivation of trees, it is probable with these 

 quick growing species that we shall begin. A forecast derived 

 from the foregoing considerations is well worth statement. It is 

 4 



