436 Forestry Quarterly. 



tensive regions in Canada; therefore the conditions disclosed by 

 this survey merit special study. 



The whole pinery has been burned over once and in many 

 places several times. Where originally one million acres of 

 pine stood there are now 560,000 acres of poplar and birch, 

 300,000 acres of cordwood and 90,000 acres of moderately culled 

 timber. There has not been, and is not now any fire protection 

 except in the few square miles of remaining licenses and there 

 is no attempt to encourage and protect the natural reproduction 

 of the extremely valuable White pine. On the average 14,000 

 acres are burned over annually. Fires in 1913, since the com- 

 pletion of the survey covered 175,000 acres and did damage es- 

 timated at $300,000. When it escapes fire White pine reproduces 

 readily and vigorously except in repeatedly burned areas. In 

 this district $12,000,000 worth of White pine reproduction has 

 been destroyed by fire. The destruction goes on at the rate of 

 $250,000 per year and not one attempt is made to prevent it. 



A most important feature of this report, especially for On- 

 tario, is the clear manner in which the value of White pine repro- 

 duction is shown. 



Another serious loss to the Province has been the expensive 

 agricultural experiment carried on, an expense which can be 

 measured only in human blood and tears. The logged over lands 

 though known to be non-agricultural were opened to settlement 

 fifty years ago, and settled by the same hardy timber following 

 folk who settled the most of Eastern Canada. The report deals 

 exhaustively with subsequent conditions. The thin soil scattered 

 amongst boulders and rock ridges has refused to raise any crop 

 but timber. In half a century ten per cent of the area has been 

 cleared and the population of 2100 square miles has risen to 

 15,000 people. Only about two per cent of the whole area is cul- 

 tivated. The settlers now in the country realize that the land 

 was never meant for agriculture. The population has declined 

 fifteen per cent in ten years; in 1912, 194 farms were to be sold 

 for taxes averaging i8c per acre. Social conditions are unsatis- 

 factory. 



Recommendations for the future management of the territory 

 are included in the report. The district though now unproduc- 

 tive because of lack of fire protection, is estimated to be capable 



