590 MISCELLANEOUS. [Jan. 



they were permitted to increase, and this seemed to indicate one 

 principal reason for the depredations on the trees of late years. 



The Forests of Canada. — With the assent of Lord Derby, when 

 Colonial Secretary, to a suggestion of Lord Lansdowne, the Govern- 

 ments of the various provinces of Canada were last summer 

 aj)plied to for information as to the condition of their respective 

 forests. The replies received, which have been submitted to the 

 Imperial authorities, showed that in Prince Edward Island the 

 settlers and lumbermen had left little of value. In Nova Scotia the 

 supply of pine and spruce was disappearing, and much of the heavy 

 birch had been exported in recent years, but a fair quantity of hem- 

 lock remained. With stringent regulations against forest fires, 

 and against tlie cutting of trees of less than a certain diameter, 

 Nova Scotia would continue to be a timber-exporting region. 

 Little information was gleaned regarding New Brunswick. In the 

 province of Quebec a considerable quantity of timber remained 

 above the north shore of the St. Lawrence, where, however, proper 

 precautions were necessary. In Ontario and the other provinces 

 reports were of a similar nature ; and in Manitoba the formation of 

 an active forestry association was welcomed to enforce rigidly the 

 existing legislation on the subject. To the statements tliat tlie 

 forests of British Columbia are within six years of exhaustion, 

 the authorities return an energetic and complete refutal. 



Utilizatiox of Beecidiast. — In a pamphlet written by Captain 

 L'Estrange, and published by Hodges, Dublin, it is pointed out how 

 a very considerable profit is made in France out of this common 

 produce, which in this country is entirely neglected and left to the 

 wood pigeons. Captain L'Estrange's researches on this subject have 

 been aided by the Foreign Office, who have obtained information 

 from the British Chamber of Commerce in Paris that the oil from 

 the beechmast is now selling at 10 francs the kilo, and that from 

 the tariff of the French " Commission des Valeurs " the refuse after 

 the oil is extracted is worth twelve centimes the kilo. It is stated 

 that a cwt. of nuts will produce 7 kilos (about 14 lbs.) of oil, worth 

 at the present price £3, 10s. According to this, a ton of beech nuts 

 would be worth £40. The oil when prepared is of an amber colour ; 

 it has no smell, and a very delicate flavour, and supplies the place 

 of olive oil ; but it keeps better, improves wdth age, and will keep 

 for more than twenty years. It is evident from this that not only 

 would very considerable profit be made out of this product, which 

 now goes to waste, but it would afford plenty of employment to 

 women and children in collecting the crop. Captain L'Estrange 



