870 JOUKNAI, OF FORESTRY 



{ 1 ) It has a larger percentage of softwood than the Adirondack 

 region, and this increases progressively to the northward. 



(3) It substitutes white for red spruce, an advantage in rate of 

 growth, recovery after release from a stand, freedom from bud 

 worm attack and ability to grow in open position. 



(3) The forest has a good gradation of size classes, and is for this 

 reason better suited to the selection system of cutting. 



(4) It has no serious problem of tolerant hardwoods among the types 

 that are now producing pulpwood. 



(5) The maple ridges act as a fire barrier, and are not of such a 

 character as to induce present cutting. 



The disadvantages presented are: 



(1) The heavy mortality following cutting. This will probably im- 

 prove with the sanitation of the forest, as the stand grows faster under 

 continued logging. 



(2) Fire risk created by an inflamable softwood type. 



The point of interest for future determination is where the line may 

 be drawn through Ontario, separating the red spruce forest from the 

 white spruce. For this reason the conditions around Lake Abitibi are 

 mentioned as discussed by Mills. ^ He reports a stand of black spruce 

 and balsam with a large amount of paper birch mixed through the 

 softwood on the upland. His studies of growth showed a period of 

 severe suppression, however, quite unlike that found in Algoma. While 

 the large percentage of softwood favors selection cutting, the normal 

 rate of growth in the virgin type and recovery in the cut-over type 

 is less in the Abitibi district. 



Observations made in Quebec in the vicinity of Cookshire, and 

 also near East Angus where the softwood was cut some 30 years ago, 

 show that the forest similar in character to that of the Adiron- 

 dacks is in much thriftier condition as its crowns close following the 

 first cutting. Borings made in this section indicate that following 

 a spruce saw-timber cutting, there should follow a second cut in about 

 25 years, since the crowns will have closed in that period of time and 

 growth will be slowing down. The condition of the stand will of 

 course depend on the amount removed, but the cutting of saw 

 timber did not seriously open even the softwood type. Such lesson 



' C. R. Mills. Unpublished report produced under the direction of Commission 

 of Conservation of Canada. 



