FORESTRY. 89 



an easy matter to carry out the work, owing" to the numerous 

 lakelets within the reserves. ' These will be used, when 

 practicable, in forming- portions of the line. It is proposed, 

 in constituting- the lines which will form the fire guards, to 

 make them from 50 to 100 feet in width, as conditions may 

 require, and to plow up the outer edges to a sufficient width 

 to make it safe to burn between them. If, in the following 

 year, harrowing- is not found sufficient to make an effective 

 break, re-plowing- will take place, and afterwards, at the 

 most favorable time, the strip between the g-uards burnt off. 



The danger, from fire, to these belts of timber, comes 

 chiefly from the west and north-west. There are two causes 

 which, as appears to me, explain this. The first is, that the 

 prevailing- winds in the fall of the year, when the prairie fires 

 are most prevalent, come from a westerly direction. The 

 second, that while settlement is g-enerally found on the east, 

 north and south sides of these belts of timber, thereby afford- 

 ing- a means of check to the fire coming from that direction, 

 there is practically little or no settlement on the west. 



The rapidity with which this country is being denuded 

 of timber should claim the attention of everyone interested in 

 its general welfare and prosperity. Speaking from my own 

 observation, I have little hesitation in saying that within the 

 last fifteen years our timber resources have been diminished 

 by one-half ; whereas, with adequate protection from fire, 

 the natural increment would have been far more than suffici- 

 ent to have supplied demands, without any diminution what- 

 ever. Many settlers who, a few years ago, had wood con- 

 veniently near their farms have now to haul long distances, 

 in many cases under trying conditions, to obtain their 

 supplies, or else are dependent upon coal. Instead of their 

 fuel costing them nothing, as in former years, they are now 

 in the position of having to pay from $30 to $50 a year for 

 this commodity. What this condition of affairs would mean 

 if it became general, can easily be imagined. 



Devastating fires occurred last year on Moose Mountain 

 and on Turtle Mountain. A large number of men were em- 



