WILLOWS AS FUEL. 



W. RICKARD, M. P. P., 



NEWCASTLE, ONT. 



T ^ 7 E have in our Dominion a great 

 V V country — great in extent, great in 

 its natural resources and undeveloped 

 wealth, great in its future prospects, and 

 destined to be the home of many millions, of 

 people. We are so situated geographically 

 that the question of a supply of fuel will 

 ever be an important one. While we have 

 practically inexhaustible mountains of coal 

 in the far east and in the far west, and 

 doubtless much more yet undiscovered, not- 

 withstanding all this, as far as we are con- 

 cerned, what we call old Ontario is almost 

 entirely dependent upon a foreign country 

 for a fuel supply. We all know that in the 

 back countries wood has been the principal 

 fuel for people living in the country. We 

 also know that in many of the old settled 

 portions the supply of wood is almost en- 

 tirely exhausted, and it is somewhat strange 

 to me that practically no effort has been 

 made to replenish the same. I consider the 

 question of reforesting by propagating for- 

 est trees on land not valuable, also on the 

 highways and along line fences, not only for 

 the purpose of providing a supply of fuel, 

 but for other purposes as well, to be one of 

 the most important that can occupy the at- 

 tention of not only the farmers and land 

 owners of the country, but also the earnest 

 and serious consideration of every legislative 

 body in our Province of Ontario, from the 

 local municipal council up to the Legisla- 



ture. I know of no more important sub- 

 ject, nor one in which some of the surplus 

 could better be spent than in helping on the 

 good work of propagating forest trees. 



But to come down to the matter of a prac- 

 tical suggestion to the farmers or land own- 

 ers of my own county, Durham, applicable 

 more especially to the front townships, let 

 me say, while I strongly advise a liberal and 

 judicious planting of trees on all side roads 

 and concession roads, and other appropriate 

 places, with a view to gain benefits in vari- 

 ous ways, I want further to say that of late 

 it has come very forcibly to my mind that 

 the much despised willow may in very many 

 instances be used to good account. In a 

 great many cases there will be found some 

 spot on the farm that might be considered 

 waste land, and where there may be running 

 water or abundance of moisture. In such 

 places I would say, go right to work with- 

 out any delay and plant the willow. It is 

 easily planted,, will grow rapidly, and in a 

 very few years you can cut the top off for 

 firewood, thus securing a partial supply of 

 fuel that will for certain be out of the reach 

 of labor strikes or industrial contention — a 

 supply that will be found on your premises 

 and which will cost only the cutting. I 

 venture to say that if this suggestion is act- 

 ed upon, where the conditions are favorable, 

 some one will unhesitatingly say that a good 

 thing was done. — The Sun. 



