stand Improvement — Agreement Forests 



Stand improvement work was carried out on 7,759 acres in 37 different 

 forests. The main activities were clearing scrub and slirub growth prior to 

 planting, cleaning desirable young trees from competing vegetation, pruning trees 

 to produce knot free lumber, thinning even aged stands to increase growth on 

 remaining stems, improving stands by removing larger low value, or defective 

 trees, harvesting mature timber and culturing and selling existing scotch pine 

 Christmas tree plantations. This last activity is designated for completion in 1963 

 as private enterprise can now supply existing market. In most cases only a few of 

 the best Christmas trees in each acre will be sold. 



As the Dutch elm disease is prevalent in Southern Ontario, considerable 

 merchantable elm was sold in harvest cutting. A marked increase in stumpage 

 sales took place in the thinning, improvement and harvest cuts. This trend allows 

 permanent and casual staff to be diverted to additional projects, such as pruning, 

 where no product is involved. 



Most of the agreement forests are fairly accessible during the winter months, 

 thus improvement projects can be carried out when unemployment is at the 

 yearly high. Pruning is especially suitable for winter as work may be accomplished 

 on snowshoes. 



In addition to the above work, three camps of Department of Reform 

 Institutions' inmates did considerable useful stand improvement work on Agree- 

 ment Forests. Their work is of a type for which labour is not normally hired. 



TABLE 



District 



Project Acre s 



Clearing ' 139 



Thinning 45 



Improvement Cutting 22 



Harvest Cutting 179 



Total 385 



Clearing 38 



Cleaning 612 



Pruning 212 



Thinning 43 



Improvement Cutting 1,157 



Harvest Cutting 416 



Christmas Tree Culture 257 



Total 2,735 



Aylmer 



Huron 



298 



