No. 3 



Report of the Department of Lands and Forests for 1950 



nursery at the request of this Division with the permission of Mr. Zavitz. This work 

 was done by Mr. Chapman and Miss Sanderson of the Ontario Research Foundation 

 and may revolutionize nursery irrigation practice and produce bigger stock in a shorter 

 time with less cost. 



In co-operation with the Ontario Research Foundation, foliage and cones from 

 all native trees and some planted varieties, were distilled for essential oils. The first 

 distillation of 3,000 pounds of foliage from each species was done in a commercial still 

 at Bancroft. The yield proved erratic, however, and a second run of small quantities 

 of pure foliage without branches is being made under carefully controlled laboratory 

 conditions to determine potential yields and the constituents of the oils. Markets also 

 will be studied. 



This Division co-operated in the seeding of clouds with dry ice during the 

 Mississagi-Chapleau fire. The full effects are not known but the observable effects 

 have been covered in a report by Mr. K. G. Pettit, Dominion Meteorological Service. 



In co-operation with the Ontario and the National Research Council, a 

 thorough test of the possibility of locating forest fires by infra-red ray devices (bolo- 

 meters) and radar, was made. The tests took place at Scarboro and the devices and 

 operators were supplied by the National Research Council. Results were negative. 

 The fire used was of fair size: the instruments highly perfected, and the operators 

 well trained. Therefore, the prospects of getting a detectable anomaly above a small 

 fire with less perfect equipment and ine.xperienced operators seems to be small, for 

 the near future at least. 



E.xploded vermiculite was supplied to the Orono and Fort William nurseries 

 for a test of this material on seedbeds. A small quantity of wa.x emulsion for reducing 

 transpiration loss from coniferous seedlings was supplied to Orono. This was tried 

 out on unsheltered transplants during the winter of 1948-49. and reduced the loss 

 appreciably. The Division co-operated with Mr. Linton at Orono in testing the 

 effect of herbicides such as 2-4D on woodv shrubs and trees. 



.1 sample of Birch infestation. 



