27 



PROVINCE OF MANITOBA AND THE XORTH-WEST TERRITORIES. 



(Extract by permission from Professor Macoun's Work on Manitoba and the 

 Great North-West.) 



The timber supply for the North-West engages at present the attention 

 of many thoughtful men. It is, therefore, necessary to collect in a small 

 space all the information possible on the subject. 



On the Lake of the Woods, Rainy River and its tributaries, and along 

 Winnipeg River, there are large areas of forest where much fine timber is 

 still to be had, but in no sense can these areas be called pineries. 



Tamarac, white spruce, banksian or scrub pine, Norway pine, white 

 pine and white cedar, are met with in greater or lesser quantities. For 

 such purposes as house-building, fence-posts, railroad ties, or bridge-build- 

 ing there is an ample supply along the line of the C. P. R. It is true 

 much of it is small, but it is sound and good, and scarcity enhances the 

 value. When lumber of any kind brings $20 per thousand, small size 

 and presence of knots will never condemn the material. The various 

 species of pine are on the sandy ridges dividing the swamps, while the 

 tamarac and black spruce are found in the swamps. At Rat Portage 

 and Eagle River are saw mills which manufacture large quantities of 

 material used on the C. P. R., and much, that is distributed over the 

 country as far west as Portage la Prairie. 



Beren's River, about half way up the east shore of Lake Winnipeg, 

 drains a large district of country, and along its banks there are known 

 to exist considerable areas of pine lands, but whether banksian or red 

 pine is the prevailing species, our limited knowledge prevents us from 

 ascertaining. 



No matter what interested or other persons may state, red and white 

 pine cease on the east side of Lake Winnipeg, and the only species found 

 west of that is the banksian pine (Pinus Banksiana). White cedar ( Tliuga 

 Occidental-is) is found in small quantities on the shores of Cedar Lake, 

 north of the head of Winnipegoosis, but no further west. The following 

 list of the trees of the plains and the northern forests may be relied on 

 as absolutely correct : 



WHITE SPBCCB (Abies Alba) may be considered the most important tree 

 throughout the North-West. Neither its habit nor habitat are in accord 

 with eastern ideas. In its northern home it is a stately tree, rising, with 

 little diminution in size, to the height of 100 feet, and often having a 

 diameter of nearly four feet. It is no uncommon occurrence to see' 

 fifty trees to an acre, averaging thirty inches in diameter. Its habitat, 

 instead of being on sand or in wet swamps, is always on the mossy slop- 

 ing-bank or side-hill or on the alluvial flats along a river. 



