66 Forestry Quarterly 



Timber Conditions of the Little Smoky River Valley, Alberta, 

 and Adjacent Territory. By J. Andre Doucet. Bull. 41, Dominion 

 Forestry Branch. Ottawa, Canada. 1914. Pp. 52. 



The area considered by this bulletin lies in a southwesterly 

 direction from Lesser Slave Lake and extends down nearly to 

 the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The reconnaissance survey 

 herein described is an extension of the work, in which the author 

 participated, around Lesser Slave Lake (Forestry Branch Bulle- 

 tin 29). 



After a general discussion of the topographic soil and forest 

 conditions, the author proceeds to a detailed description of the 

 region by blocks which are in reality mostly cover types, such 

 as the poplar forest, old spruce forest, young mixed forest, pine 

 ■ forest and broule. The information concerning the area, soil 

 conditions, composition, age and yield of these types is presented 

 in precise tabular form. 



From the tables we find that the 7.3 thousand square miles 

 covered by the survey are estimated to contain 4.5 billion feet of 

 merchantable spruce and pine and 20 million cords of poplar 

 and birch. It would seem from the author's statements that less 

 than one-twentieth of the area was actually covered with con- 

 tinuous mature forest. The total yield as given above includes 

 patches of mature timber in areas of second growth. Polewood 

 from thirty-five to seventy-five years old, mostly Lodgepole pine, 

 occupies over 2,000 square miles ; poplar nearly mature 1,300 

 square miles, while young mixed growth already carrying some 

 commercial timber covers 1,500 square miles. 



Eleven per cent, of the area has been burned in the past twenty 

 years, over 25 per cent, in the last fifty years and 77 per cent, in 

 the past 100 years. "Fires do not seem to be less imminent today 

 than they were twenty-five or fifty years ago. The only difference 

 is that there is less to be burnt." Satisfactory reproduction is tak- 

 ing place on areas not reburned, but this is the condition on only 

 about one-fifth of the total area. The author discusses the neces- 

 sity for adequate fire protection and suggests places for patrol, 

 lookout stations and the building of trails on the 5,500 square 

 miles which he recommends to be created a forest reserve. 



As a whole, the bulletin is written in a remarkably clear and 



