6 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [Vot. VIII. 
water-courses, along which the streams, fed by the melting snows and 
the spring rains, formerly flowed gradually away. Periods of protracted 
drought during midsummer are much more severe in their effects. The 
sweep of the winter winds over large cleared areas of country, in many 
localities, renders difficult and precarious the growth of some crops once 
profitably cultivated. The largely-increased demand for timber for 
manufacturing purposes is met by a rapidly diminishing supply. The 
prospect of the further deterioration of the soil and climate, and the ex- 
haustion of the vast and supposedly illimitable timber resources of the 
Continent, has naturally induced a close study of the causes of condi- 
tions so unfavourable to future prosperity and industrial development.” 
Under the head of “ Forests and Rainfall,’ at page 14 of the report, 
Mr. Southworth states: “It may here be remarked in passing that 
though this author takes very decided ground as to the effect of the 
forest in increasing the actual volume of the rainfall, the question is one 
upon which some difference of opinion still exists among meteorologists. 
As all rainfall is dependent upon evaporation, and no drop of water can 
possibly fall anywhere upon the earth’s surface that has not first been 
drawn from it, it is urged that the aggregate evaporation, which is 
mainly from the ocean, the great lakes, and other bodies of water, can- 
not possibly be affected by the transpiration from the leaves of trees to 
such an extent as to appreciably increase the rainfall. On the other 
hand, the evaporation of moisture due to the presence of forests is very 
great. Aside from the longer retention of the water in a forest floor, 
allowing it to evaporate gradually, instead of running at once to the 
streams and to the sea, the amount of moisture transpired through the 
leaves of a large and healthy tree is much larger than is generally sup- 
posed. 
« Areas entirely destitute of trees are more subject to drought-than 
districts in which there is a proper proportion of wooded land. The 
summer of 1895 was an exceptionally dry one in many parts of Ontario, 
and it is worthy of note, that the section of the province which suffered 
most severely from the want of rain, was the region that, according to 
the assessment returns of the Ontario Bureau of Industries, has been 
the most completely denuded of its timber.” 
The annual reports on forestry since 1896 indicate that some progress 
has been made in this most important and urgent matter, affecting, as 
it does, the prosperity and welfare of the province. By the report of 
the Director of Forestry, Mr. Southworth, for 1900 and 1901, it will be 
observed, that in addition to the Algonquin Park reserve of 1,109,383 
