187 



they possess, but the following statistics, which I prepared at the request of Prof. Sargent, 

 gives the result of my investigations. 



For the Province of Quebec, we may consider the country south of the St. Lawrence 

 as still having 250 million feet, the principal streams being the St. Francis, Nicolet, and 

 Chaudiere ; the country on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, east of the city of 

 Quebec, 250 millions, the principal river being the Saguenay ; the district north of the 

 St. Lawrence, between Quebec and Montreal, 750 millions, the chief source of supply 

 being the St. Maurice ; that on the north shore of the Ottawa, between Montreal and 

 Ottawa city, 1,250 millions, the principal streams being the Gatineau, Lievre, Nation, 

 and Rouge ; and from Ottawa to the headwaters of the Ottawa river, on the same side, 

 2,500 millions, the main sources of supply being the rivers Coulonge, Black, Dumoine, Bear, 

 Maganacippi, and Keepowa, and lakes Temiscaming and Des Quinze, with the lakes and 

 rivers forming the head waters of the Ottawa — making a total for the Province of 

 Quebec of 5,000 millions. 



For Ontario we may estimate the streams flowing into the Ottawa as still having 

 1,250 millions, the chief supplies coming from the Madawaska, Mississippi, Bonnech^re, 

 Petawawa, Matawan, and Montreal rivers, the country drained by the waters of the Trent 

 and Moira, 750 millions; the streams entering into Georgian Bay, 750 millions; and 

 supplies from other portions of the Province, 750 millions — making a total for Ontario 

 of 3,500 millions. 



The pine still remaining in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will probably not 

 exceed 1,500 millions. Thus making a total for the four provinces of 10,000 millions — 

 an amount less than one year's consumption of your country. 



But, whether the amount may exceed this estimate, which I have made from the best 

 sources of information attainable, or not, there is one thing sure that our hitherto 

 magnificent forests of pine are about gone, and the remark of Mr. Charles Gibb that 

 " our native White Pine may yet be peddled in some parts of our country as a rare exotic, 

 so scarce has it become, " is certain to be realized in the near future. 



The remainder of this interesting paper appeared in our report of the Cincinnati 

 meeting. 



Another and very potent cause of denudation, and one which produces far more dis- 

 astrous results than the lumberman's axe is 



FOREST FIRES. 



Previous to the discussion on this important subject, already referred to at some 



length in our report on the Montreal meeting, Mr. J. K. Ward, of Montreal, read the 



following very practical paper : — 



In appearing before you to-day as a practical lumberman, anything I may say will 

 be based on my experience as such, and should I succeed in contributing ever so little in 

 shaping a policy that will promote the industry we are engaged in, and at the same time 

 do something that will preserve for years to come the matei'ial on which that industry 

 depends, we will no doubt get our reward. It is a common saying that cotton is king ; 

 this may be a truism in some places, but it will not hold good in Canada, as king lumber 

 reigns over us. In support of this assertion, I will resort to a few figures to show its im- 

 portance to us as a nation. There is manufactured in Canada approximating to two 

 thousand million feet of lumber and timber B.M. per annum, using up say twelve million 

 saw logs, 18 in. x 12 ft. for pine, and 14 in. x 12 ft. for spruce. Nine-tenths of this 

 lumber is exported, for which we get in return some $25,000,000. To produce the above 

 quantity of timber and lumber it would require 3,000,000 acres of land to be cut over, 

 averaging say 2,000 feet per acre, which I think is a liberal allowance. But it is a difii- 

 cult question as to how much of our country would yield the quantity above named. 

 There can be no question as to the necessity of taking all the means at our command to 

 make the best use of what standing timber we have, in utilization and protection of it ; 

 first, in greater economy in manufacturing, both in the mill and in the woods, turning 

 to better account the slabs, etc., in the former, and discouraging the making of square 



