936 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



largely supplemented by the province, since the fire ranging organiza- 

 tion covers very large areas of lands, much of which have been cut over 

 and burned over, but contain a great deal of young forest growth. The 

 total appropriation for all the lines of work with which the Forestry 

 Branch is charged is in the neighborhood of $375,000. The bulk of 

 this goes for fire protection, but provision is made also for nursery and 

 planting work, eradication of the pine-blister disease, etc. 



E. J. Zavitz is Provincial Forester, J. H. White, Assistant Provincial 

 Forester, and L. E. Bliss is General Superintendent of fire protection. 

 The province is divided into 34 districts, with a chief ranger in each 

 district. There are 31 sub-chief rangers and 986 rangers. For the 

 most part, the rangers work in pairs and travel by canoe. Some are 

 on railway patrol, while others utilize the various other methods of 

 transportation suitable to the local conditions in each case. 



Five automobile trucks with fire-fighting equipment have been pro- 

 vided for districts where roads to the settlers exist. Some 625 miles 

 of old trails and portages have been cleared out and 60 miles of new 

 trails and portages constructed. Of lookout towers, 22 have been built 

 and 19 more are under construction. About 45 miles of telephone line 

 have been erected. 



The permit system of regulating settlers' clearing fires is in effect in 

 the clay belt of northern Ontario and is working well. 



It will necessarily require time to get the new organization in thor- 

 oughly satisfactory running order, but the progress made thus far gives 

 promise of continued improvement. This work was placed under the 

 Forestry Branch only this year and many serious obstacles have had to 

 be overcome. The improvement already 'made is really notable. 



An impressive test of the improved design of fire pump intended for 

 forest fires on which Mr. Harry Johnson, Fire Inspector, Board of 

 Railway Commissioners, has done such valuable work, was made at 

 Ottawa on May 9 before interested spectators. 



The factor of portability has bulked largest in Mr. Johnson's experi- 

 ments and, of course, has been the chief barrier to the use of any of 

 the existing types of pumps for extinguishing fires in the forest. Last 

 year a most practical experiment was tried by the St. Maurice Forest 

 Protective Association at La Tuque, P. Q., where one of the pumps 

 did splendid service and saved its cost on the single occasion. 



This year's design couples the engine and pump direct, the carbu- 

 retor has been made more get-at-able, and the general efficiency of the 



