Quebec Provincial Nurseries* 



Description of the Forest Nursery Station at Berthierville. 



The Secretary recently paid a visit 

 to the Quebec Government Forest 

 Nursery near Berthierville. This 

 nursery, which consists of about 

 sixty acres, is situated on the north 

 bank of the St. Lawrence River near 

 the town of Berthierville, and nearly 

 opposite the city of Sorel. The site 

 is well chosen both as to the charac- 

 ter of the soil and for convenience 

 in shipping the little trees by rail 

 and water. The farm house and 

 barns have been fitted up for the use 

 of the resident forester, and accom- 

 modation is provided for the stu- 

 dents who in the spring do the work 

 of preparing the beds, sowing the 

 seed and transplanting the seedlings 

 into the nursery rows. 



The species chiefly grown are pine 

 and spruce. White and red pine oc- 

 cupy a large place, and the nursery 

 is also making a thorough test of 

 Scotch pine, w^hich promises to do 

 particularly well in the Province of 

 Quebec. Tamarack and European 

 larch are also grown extensively, 

 and another conifer that promises 



well is the red fir, the seed of which 

 was brought from Idaho. Of de- 

 ciduous trees, the ash, elm and maple 

 are the chief representatives, black 

 walnut six years from the seed is 

 about nine feet high, and some 

 Eui'opean walnut planted two years 

 ago is also making good growth. As 

 an experiment there are some speci- 

 mens of tulip trees or yellow poplar 

 being grown, and while this tree has 

 been frozen down the last two wint- 

 ers to about three feet above the 

 ground, it is hoped eventually to ac- 

 climatize it. 



The Secretary w^as shown over the 

 nursery by Mr. G. C. Piche, Chief of 

 the Forest Service, who pointed out 

 that the nursery had now" reached a 

 size of five hundred beds. In these 

 there were a few failures, but in 

 nearly every case the reason for 

 these was known, and as the work 

 proceeds these can be avoided in 

 future. The nursery has also been 

 equipped with a water system which 

 will materially improve the working 

 conditions. 



View in Quebec Oovernment Nurseries Berthierville, Que., looking toward St. Law- 

 rence Eiver. 



149 



