A FORESTER'S WORK IN A NORTHERN FOREST. 



By Eixwood Wilson, B. A., C. E. 

 Forest Engineer, Laurentide Paper Company. 



In July of 1907 the writer organized the Forestry Division of 

 the Laurentide Paper Company, operating over Crown Lands 

 held under license in the Valley of the St. Maurice and its tribu- 

 taries, in the Province of Quebec. These lands lie scattered over 

 a territory about 160 miles from north to south and about 100 

 miles from east to west, and generally contiguous although there 

 are three isolated blocks of 50 square miles each and one of 225 

 square miles. The whole district is tributary to rivers and streams 

 flowing into the St. Maurice, yet in some sections the drive re- 

 quires two years. As yet, there is no railroad communication 

 with any part of the territory, but the National Transcontinental 

 Railway will soon tap a small section. The country is practically 

 unbroken forest with a network of lakes and small streams and 

 for the most part rolling, very rough in sections and without 

 roads and trails except the old Indian portages. About 30 years 

 ago the large pine was lumbered, and intermittent cutting has 

 been done over about 1350 square miles. 



The only maps which existed were the Government traverses 

 of the main rivers and some plans showing the boundaries of the 

 timber berths, both of which were often grossly inaccurate. 



Crown lands in this Province must be cut according to Govern- 

 ment regulations which prescribe a diameter limit. 



The problems which had to be met were, therefore, the follow- 

 ing: to ascertain and fix all boundaries; to make accurate topo- 

 graphical maps on which should be shown the rivers, streams and 

 lakes, water-sheds, roads, trails, dams, &c; to protect the terri- 

 tory from fire ; to ascertain and map the various types of forest, 

 and to obtain a reliable estimate of the kinds and quantities of 

 timber available, and from these data to so regulate the cut that 

 the Company's paper mill could have a supply of raw material for 

 a long future. 



One difficulty with all work in this region is the lack of com- 



