Report of the Department of Lands end Forests for 1950 No. 3 



Regeneration surveys were carried on in the Fort Frances and Port Arthur 

 Districts. After the Mississagi fire, the Fort Frances party was withdrawn and set 

 to work gathering seed for the proposed aerial seeding of part of the burn, that 

 would probably not regenerate naturally to valuable species. 



The large scale regeneration survey program has now reached the point where 

 the principal forest regions of the Province have been covered and surveys will be 

 done only on special demand. At was predicted by this Division, operating com- 

 panies have found that, as a matter of intelligent stock taking and planning, regenera- 

 tion surveys are as important as timber estimations prior to cutting. These surveys 

 probably will be continued and expanded by the companies though some areas will 

 still need to be covered by the Department. 



A co-operative cutting program for regeneration research was started in 1948 

 by this Division in the Port Arthur District and will be extended to the other regions 

 as staff and funds permit. This program will enable the Division to establish areas 

 in all the principal forest site types on the limits of the major companies and enter 

 into an agreement with the company to cut these selected areas in a specific manner 

 so as to influence regeneration. Some areas will also receive special treatment such 

 as scarification, fertilization, etc. This work was started on the limits of the Great 

 Lakes Paper Company, the Abitibi Power and Paper Company and the Marathon 

 Paper Company. 



An examination was made of the Gogoma fire area of 1941 by a party of two 

 men, and of burned areas in the Parry Sound area by a party of two. 



Permanent plots established in 1930-32, in the Timagami region were re- 

 examined. 



Seed Treatment and Aerial Seeding 



The question of coating seed ( 1 ) to increase the ease with which it may be 

 dispensed from a seeding mechanism in the air or on the ground (2) to increase 

 germination and give protection against diseases, rodents and insects is proceeding. 

 An improved seed coating mechanism was set up at Maple and the technique of 

 coating has been perfected so that it is now simple, cheap and effective. Extensive 

 experiments are proceeding in coating materials, fungicides, rodent repellents and 

 fertilizers. Emphasis is placed on the first two, and interesting results are being 

 obtained. The problem of delayed germination of pellets has been solved and can 

 now be controlled at will. 



It is certain that even if nothing further is accomplished, the increased bulk 

 and weight of coated seed gives advantages for aerial seeding and somes types of hand 

 seeding that exceeds the cost of coating. 



A quantity of Jack pine seed was gathered in the Port Arthur Region and 

 enough additional seed obtained from the seed plant at Angus to sow 15,000 acres 

 that probably would not otherwise regenerate in the Mississagi fire area. The seeds 

 were coated at Maple. Jack pine, red, white and Scots pine and white spruce seed 

 was sown on sites suited to each species as far as could be determined. A Stinson 

 Reliant aircraft of the Division of Air Service was used for distribution, and the seeds 

 were sown at the rate of five thousand per acre. 



The total cost of seeding, amounted to about 60c per acre. Past experience in 

 seeding indicates that a minimum of 1 % survival may be expected under bad con- 

 ditions. A small fraction of 1 % would pay the cost of operation, as indicated above. 



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