The Timber Supply of North America. 



By D. SYM SCOTT, Fokestek, Eallinacoup.te, Tiipebauy, Ii eland. 



America was once supposed to contain sufficient forest produce to 

 afford an unlimited supply of timber for an indefinite period. 

 Pennsylvania, ISTew York, Maine, Ontario, Quebec. Nova Scotia, and 

 iSTew Brunswick, at the beginning of the present century were in 

 reality impenetrable jungles of primeval forest, the haunt of the 

 wandering red Indian, and of the grizzly bear. Now, however, by 

 the unremitting energy of the early squatter these provinces and 

 States are reclaimed to a perfect El Dorado of agriculture, surpassing 

 in many instances the most successful results of the Old Country. 



In the country there are what are called " Timber Limits," within 

 which all the pine is reserved, except what the settler requires to 

 assist him with his improvements. Licenses are issued to timber 

 merchants, enabling them to fell aud remove the timber. 



The policy in regard to timber licenses creates distrust in the 

 minds of squatters, as the restrictions contained therein imbue them 

 with the notion that after taking up their lot of land, timber men 

 may come across their farms, and irretrievably ruin their hard earned 

 improvement, which makes some feel the timber license a great 

 grievance; but when land is bought under certain conditions no in- 

 justice is done in having those terms fully carried out. By this 

 system the Crown Land Department is able to counteract a species of 

 fraud practised by squatters pretending to take up a lot of well- 

 timbered land, pay one instalment of the purchase money, chop, and 

 remove the timber, and then abandon the lot. 



In some of the districts in Upper Canada the squatters are 

 anxious to have all timber licenses removed from actual settlements, 

 squatters to buy the timber with the land, pay cash down at time of 

 location, and be entitled to dispose of or conserve the timber as 

 their exigences may necessitate. On the other hand the question 

 comes up whether the advantage to the country by one system would 

 be greater than by the other. Many are of the opinion that it; 

 w^ould not, because the lumber men are the great pioneers of civili- 

 zation, as the farmer advances the woodman retires further back 



