No. 5.] MARLER — DENUDATION OF FORESTS. 319 



Comparing the year 1881 with the year 1871 there is an in- 

 creas of $2,000,000. 



I have found that in 1871 the cut of timber as reported to 



Government was : — 



White Pine 24,236,821 feet. 



Ked Pine 1,954,371 " 



Oak. .^ 3,302,043 « 



Tamarac 5,695'963 " 



Birch 1,939,357 " 



Elm ] ,832,624 " 



. Walnut 117,589 " 



Butternut 102,981 " 



Hickory 197,827 » 



Other kinds 26,290,264 " 



Pine logs 12,410,408 " 



Other logs 9,314,557 " 



Masts.. ^ 121,685 " 



Staves 34,706 M. 



Lath wood 25,706 Cords. 



Tan hark 162,521 " 



Firewood 8,713,083 " 



Now reducing these several quantities to trees, we have an 

 aggregate of 2'2,271,384 trees. If you say 50 trees to the acre, 

 we have denuded in one year 54:5,4:28 acres, equal to three 

 townships. There have expired since this return was made 10 

 years, which gives no less than 30 townships, equal to 3,240 

 square miles, or three whole counties, supposing ejich county to 

 consist of ten townships. Having ascertained the total amount 

 of exported timber, we must not forget the home consumption, 

 which exceeds that exported. 



Now what have we done in the way of preservation ? Very 

 little indeed. 



The Quebec Legislature by an iVct of 1882, chap. XIII., 

 offers a bonus of $12 per acre to any one who will plant an acre 

 of ground with trees, and keep it well preserved. It has passed 

 an Act, 1882, chap. XL, to the effect that no person shall burn 

 or set fire to any timber for the purpose of clearing land, from 

 1st July to 1st September. 



The Grovernment, in making their yearly estimates, generally 

 amongst the items of revenue, state that they will get so much 

 from forests. Now, when they make or prepare their estimates, 

 they should carefully ponder on this item. It is not an annual 

 revenue, it is absolutely taken from capital, which capital is being 

 so rapidly reduced that ere many years the balance must be con- 

 sidered as nil; thoy are killing the goose that is laying the golden 

 egg, in fact they have nearly reached the backbone. I have now 



