FORESTRY IN NOVA SCOTIA. 



Nova Scotia is pre-eminently a forest region in spite of the fact 

 that the mountains are neither high nor rugged, nor the climate 

 so cold that farming is out of the question Many hundreds of 

 barrels of apples and potatoes are shipped annually from this 

 province. But the area of tillable land is small compared with 

 the extent of the true forest soils. Only the river basins, filled 

 in by rich alluvial deposits, are suitable for agriculture. The 

 greater part of Nova Scotia is covered with a mantle of glacial 

 boulders, between which and the bed rock there is only a thin 

 layer of soil. Such land is not worth clearing for farms, but will 

 produce excellent timber. 



Among the .softwoods, White Spruce \Picea Canadensis (Mill) 

 B. S. P.], and Balsam Fir \Abies balsamea (L.) Mill], are the 

 commonest species, occurring all over the province, and occupy- 

 ing the higher, bleaker sites to the exclusion of all other tree 

 species. The White Spruce reaches a maximum size of 36 inches 

 in diameter, breast high, and 100 feet in height. The growth is 

 rapid when the light is not cut off, and the tree has very few in- 

 sect and fungus enemies. No traces of serious damage by 

 Dendi'odonus piceaperda, Hopk., so destructive in Maine and 

 New Hampshire, were observed in an extended trip through 

 Nova Scotia. 



The White Spruce differs markedly in its rate of grow^th from 

 the Red Spruce — Picea rubens. Many examples were seen where 

 the former was making as rapid height growth as White Pines 

 right alongside of it. However, the diameter accretion is not so 

 rapid as that of White Pine, and the bole of the White Spruce 

 tapers more. 



Fir, here as elsewhere, is a fast-growing tolerant, short-lived 

 tree. Seldom is a specimen over 14 inches in diameter, breast 

 high, sound.* 



Nearl}^ all of the Tamarac — Larix laricina (Du Roi) Koch — in 

 Nova Scotia was killed by insects about 15 years ago, so that 

 there are now no large living trees. Young growth, however, 

 is springing up everywhere. 



Hemlock — Tsuga Canadensis (Iv.) Carr., White Pine — Pinus 

 *The editor has seen many perfect ones of 18 inch on Cape Breton. 



