92 FORESTRY IN EUROPE AND AMERICA. [Dec. 



quaiitity was diminishing with fearful rSpidity, owing to want of 

 proper forest conservancy, absence of replanting, and the excessive 

 annual export reaching to over 400,000,000 of superficial feet of 

 sawn lumber in the ten previous years. 



The Commissioner of Crown Lands of the province of Quebec calls 

 special attention, in his report of tlie year 1872—73, to the rate at 

 which the area of the forest lands was diminishing, owing to t'.vo 

 main causes — the cutting of timber by wholly unauthorized persons, 

 and the excessive ravages of forest fires. No steps had been taken 

 up to the year 1874 for the replanting of any of tlie cleared areas. 

 The Commissioner had reported in 1873: "In view of the fatal 

 consequences which are likely to follow the very extensive clearings 

 which are being made in all parts of the province, I consider that it 

 is of the first importance that the question of restocking the forests 

 be taken up without delay." He proposes the establishment of 

 nursery grounds on an extensive scale, the proprietors to receive an 

 annual subsidy from the Legislature. In Xew Brunswick, the white 

 pine had become so exhausted that its export in 1874 was but 

 nominal. The hemlock was rajDidly diminishing in (Quantity, owing 

 mainly to the ravages of fire, and to the fact that vast numbers of 

 trees are cut down for the sake of the bark for tanning purposes, 

 the timber being allowed to rot on the ground. In Prince Edward 

 Island, the extent of the timber lands was estimated in 1874 to be 

 about one-eighth of the whole area of the island (barely half the 

 proper amount). No steps whatever were taken to retard the 

 process of exhaustion. So far from this, Avhile it was estimated that 

 only 600 tons should be cut annually, the amount actually cut iu 

 1874 was about 10,000 tons, about 8000 tons of which are con- 

 sumed each year in the island. Great Britain had received in the 

 ten years previou.sly about 21,000 tons. 



British Columbia presented in 1874 about two-thirds of its 

 surface covered with timber, or about 110,000,000 acres of forest 

 land. It is to be observed, however, that no surveys have been 

 adequately made, and very sweeping deductions must be made 

 before we can safely calculate the true timber supply. The rate of 

 export from the province increased amazingly in the period 1862 to 

 1872. In the former year it was only of the value of 2729 dollars, 

 while in the latter it had risen to 211,026. Its natural supplies 

 must, with all possible deductions, be enormous ; but their value is 

 absolutely unknown, and the difficulties of access, as well as of 

 transport, place them under serious disabilities. It is further to be 

 noticed that the population of this vast province was in 1874 but 

 50,000, including Indians and Chinese, to an area of 2l;-!,000 

 square miles — a number totally inadequate to deal with the labour 



