QUEBEC 



4S89 



QUEBEC 



Climate. In the southern part of the prov- 

 ince and along the Saint Lawrence the summers 

 are warm, with occasional hot days; and the 

 winters are long and cold, with deep snows. 

 Spring is short and autumn is pleasant. The 

 northern part of the province has a cold cli- 

 mate with long, severe winters and short, hot 

 summers. Everywhere the rainfall is ample for 

 agriculture. The atmosphere is clear and crisp, 

 and the entire province has an invigorating and 

 healthful climate. 



Plants and Animals. In the valleys of the 

 Saint Lawrence and the Ottawa and in the east- 

 ern townships are forests of hard- and soft- 

 wood trees. The oak, the ash, the maple and 

 the spruce and pine are here. The northern 

 wild flowers, the hepatica, the claytonia and the 

 violet, adorn the fields and waysides in the 

 spring, and the aster, goldenrod and other 

 favorites are abundant in late summer and 

 early autumn. Nearly all the vast territory 



north of the Saint Lawrence is covered with 

 forests of spruce, tamarack and jack pine. 



The moose, the caribou, the deer, the bear 

 and the lynx are the valuable large animals; 

 while among the smaller animals are found the 

 otter, the mink, the fox, the weasel, the m 

 rat, the skunk and the beaver, all valuable for 

 their fur. The hunter and trapper still range 

 the forests, and Quebec's contribution to the 

 world's production of fur is important. Strin- 

 gent laws have recently been enacted by the 

 Quebec legislature for preventing the extermi- 

 nation of the most valuable fur-bearing ani- 

 mals. 



Thousands of waterfowl frequent the lakes 

 to nest in summer, and all the birds found in 

 a northern clime may be seen throughout the 

 southern part of the province, until a drop in 

 temperature warns them of the approach of 

 winter, and they hasten southward. The Canada 

 goose is of especial importance. 



Sources of Quebec's Wealth 



Minerals and Mines. The mineral resources 

 are only partially developed. Quebec supplies 

 about eighty per cent of the world's output of 

 asbestos, the mines being located in the East- 

 ern Townships, chiefly in Thetford and Dan- 

 ville. The yearly output is valued at $4,000,- 

 000. The output of cement amounts to about 

 $3,362,000 and that of marble and limestone 

 to over $1300,000. Brick are made in a num- 

 ber of localities, and the year's production 

 amounts to about $1,300,000. Some copper is 

 mined in the Eastern Townships, and silver in 

 paying quantities is obtained in the reduction 

 of the ore. Owing to the absence of coal, but 

 little iron is mined. Graphite, minerals valu- 

 able for paints, manganese and a number of 

 : minerals exist in paying quantities. The 

 total value of the minerals produced is about 

 $12,000,000 each year. 



Fisheries. Fishing is an important occupa- 

 for the people dwelling along the shores 

 <>i the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The total 

 i.il value of the fisheries is nearly $1,900,000. 

 Cod, herring and salmon, in the order named, 

 i tin- largest revenue. Lobsters and mack- 

 ire also taken in large numbers. The in- 

 1 fisheries are of small commercial value, 

 re industry gives employment to about 

 10,000 men. 



Forests and Lumber. The forest area of Que- 

 bec is not fully known, as the great forests of 

 Ungava have not been surveyed. Exclusive of 



this unsurveyed portion there are over 130,000,- 

 000 acres of forest still standing. Of this total 

 area, 5,000,000 acres are private property and 

 45,000,000 are under license to lumbermen. 

 The trees include white pine, spruce, balsam, 

 hemlock, red pine, cedar and tamarack among 

 the soft woods, and oak, beech, birch and maple 

 among the hard woods. Lumbering is one of 

 the leading industries of the province and is 

 carried on chiefly around the sources of the 

 Ottawa, the Gatineau, the Saint Maurice and a 

 few other streams north of the Saint Lawrence. 

 The logs are cut in the winter and floated down 

 the streams to the mills in the spring when the 

 water is high. Large lumber mills are found on 

 all these rivers; but some of the timber is 

 made into rafts that are towed long distances 

 by steamers. Spruce is cut in the largest quan- 

 tities, since it is the most desirable wood for 

 the manufacture of pulp (see PAPER). The 

 other cuts, in the order of importance, are 

 white pine, hemlock and balsam fir. Lumber 

 of all dimensions, shingle and lath are manufac- 

 tured in large quantities. The total yearly out- 

 put amounts to about $18,000,000. 



Both the Dominion and the provincial gov- 

 ernments exercise close supervision of the for- 

 ests, and the cutting of timber on all licensed 

 lands is so restricted as to prevent destruction 

 of the forests. 



Forest Reserves. The following forest re- 

 nerves are located in the province: Sagucnay 



