control, and no defoliation in these areas is forecast for 

 1970. 



Spraying, to control the jack-pine budworm in valuable 

 stands, was conducted in two locations in Sault Ste. Marie 

 Forest District, one of 2,000 acres of mixed red and jack 

 pine plantations in the Kirkwood Management Unit, and 

 one involving 2,000 acres of natural jack pine stands at 

 Mount Lake. A single application of fenitrothion was ap- 

 plied at 4.3 oz. per acre. The Department also assisted in 

 the spraying operations against the jack pine budworm on 

 the Petawawa Forest Experiment Station and on the Cana- 

 dian Forces Base (Petawawa). 



The regular program to control the white pine weevil 

 continued in 1969, with approximately 4,600 acres being 

 treated with aerial and ground spraying equipment, and by 

 hand-clipping and burning infested leading shoots. When 

 spraying is conducted, the insecticide used at present is 

 methoxychlor. 



Almost 9,000 acres of pine and spruce plantations were 

 sprayed for control of sawflies, principally the red-headed 

 pine sawfly, the European pine sawfly, the jack pine sawfly 

 and the yellow-headed spruce sawfly. 



For many years, the Department has used, and has en- 

 couraged private growers to use, a special virus disease to 

 control the European pine sawfly in situations where this 

 biological control agent can be used efficiently. To date, 

 the Department has been the principal source of supply of 

 the virus, and in 1969 a special effort was made to build up 

 reserves through collecting the material in the field. Suffi- 

 cient virus was collected to spray 2,000 acres. 



About 500 acres of sod-covered sites were treated for 

 control of white grubs at time of tree planting, and 600 

 acres of similar sites were treated for control of mice where 

 these pests threatened the survival of young plantations. 



The major tree-killing disease in the forests of Ontario is 

 the blister rust of white pine. A substantial disease-control 

 program has been in progress for several years in specific 

 areas managed for production of white pine. The disease is 

 controlled by using the herbicide 2,4, 5-T as a spot spray to 

 kill the other plants (wild currants and gooseberries) neces- 

 sary in the disease's life cycle. In 1969, about 9,500 acres of 

 high-value young white pine stands were protected against 

 the rust in parts of the Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Pem- 

 broke, Lindsay, Tweed and Kemptville Forest Districts. 



The entrance of annosus root rot into southern Ontario 

 plantations is prevented by the application of sodium nitrite 

 to the freshly cut surface of stumps during thinning opera- 

 tions. In 1969, some 1,800 acres were treated in this way. 



COMMUNICATIONS 



The Department's program of change-over, from A.M. to 

 S.S.B. (Single Side Band) High Frequency communications, 

 progressed to the point where all District Office radio sta- 

 tions using H.F. are equipped. Fourteen transceivers in the 

 power range 100-150 watts P.E.P. (Peak Envelope Power) 

 are in operation. Additionally, a 1000-watt P.E.P. S.S.B. 

 transmitter and associated receivers (6) installation is in 

 operation on an evaluation basis at the Control Radio Sta- 

 tion at Maple. S.S.B. installations were effected in several 

 more of the Department's Turbo Beaver aircraft and, by 

 spring of 1971, all 28 machines will be fitted with 10- 

 channel, 100-watt P.E.P. equipment. 



V.H.F. "problem area" coverage was greatly improved in 

 the Kapuskasing, Cochrane and Geraldton districts by in- 

 stallations of 270-290 foot towers at all points and the use of 

 collinear antenna arrays. A new headquarters installation 

 was made at Terrace Bay using a 270-foot tower and a col- 

 linear antenna system. V.H.F. radio-telephones were in- 

 stalled at two new Provincial Parks near the Ontario/Quebec 

 border and two more installations made at new offices in 

 Simcoe and Fonthill in southern Ontario. 



Major expenditures included 73 V.H.F. mobile radio- 

 telephones with power outputs of three to 50 watts for use 

 by all services, five Biotelemetry receivers for use by Fish 

 and Wildlife Branch, and the radio equipment for use with 

 an experimental, remote weather reporting system. 



Fire in the forest. Photo by T. Jenkins. 



49 



