Forestry in Quebec 



167 



only been noticed two years. These red- 

 tops are, of course, dead trees, the majority 

 of which were killed last season. In the 

 surrounding green trees many trunks were 

 studded with the pitch-tubes of the borers 

 which had left the red tops to attack the 

 green timber. From 1500 to 2000 pairs of 

 beetles were working in the lower fifty feet 

 af attacked trees examined. These trees 

 will add greatly to the size of the red top 

 patches by next Spring. Hundreds of trees 

 have already been killed and the fine timber 

 in the valley of the Simalkameen and Tula- 

 meen Rivers, is threatened with widespread 

 destruction. Similar outbreaks, as yet of 

 lesser importance, are starting in several 

 parts of the bull pine country. 



The western white pine is seriously affected 

 by the mountain pine bark beetle. An out- 

 break has been running in the Sugar Lake 

 and Mable Lake regions for about eight years 

 and a large body of fine timber has been 

 killed. The killed trees have since been rend- 

 ered valueless bythe tunnelling of the larger 

 wood borers. At the time of the visit there 

 in July the beetles were leaving the red tops, 

 attacked last season, and entering the green 

 timber in large numbers. The same species 

 was killing lodgepole pine in that district. 

 Unless control measures are undertaken very 

 soon the white pine of Sugar Lake will be 

 very largely killed. 



There are outbreaks by destructive bark 

 beetles in Douglas fir and lodgepole pine. 

 The Douglas fir bark beetle is killing a moder- 

 ate amount of fir in the Creighton Valley. 

 Lodgepole pine is subject to attack by bark 

 beetles, which in many places kill more or 

 less timber. The most serious outbreak 

 known to us at present is in the Shookum- 

 chuck valley above Wasa. 



Considerable injury to reproduction was 

 located. The most seiiotis cases were attacks 

 on cones of Douglas fir and bull pine by 

 caterpillars. A small species feeds largely 

 within the seeds of bull pine cones, leaving 

 them entirely filled with powder-like excre- 

 ment. A large species feeds irregularly cutting 

 tunneb around the green cones destroying 

 many of the seeds. Such injury was found at 

 various places in the Interior and also to 

 Douglas fir on Vancouver Island. 



The control of the destructive bark 

 beetles is discussed at length in the Report 

 on the Summer's work shortly to be published. 

 The most important control measure is to 

 fell and bark the recently infested trees and 

 in xjertain cases to bum the bark. The 

 methods to be followed in each case depend 

 upon the habits of the beetles concerned, 

 and should be conducted according to the 

 advice of a forest entomologist. 



It is a mistake to strip the woods off from 

 steep land and then plow it. Better bv far 

 keep timber growing on it. It is wortn far 

 more for forest culture than for cultivation. — 

 Farm Journal. 



FORESTRY IN QUEBEC. 



The Secretary' racently visited the City of 

 Quebec and later on other parts of the pro- 

 vince and there learned that forestry is 

 making steady progress. 



The policy of township forest reserves to 

 which reference was made in the September 

 issue of the Journal is becoming coastantly 

 better understood, and this promise.! to soon 

 become an important feature of the work. 

 One of its most valuable aspects is the interest 

 which it arouses in tho. peopL'i of the township 

 and their determination to protect and im- 

 prove their own property. Anything which 

 gives the people of the country a direct 

 knowledge of and interest in forestry is one 

 of the most valuable aids to forestry progress, 

 and the effect of this system of township 

 reserves will soonn be perceived far beyond 

 the borders of the community in which they 

 are situated. 



The method of dealing with sand lands in 

 old settled parts of the province is proving 

 its valu?. In case any of our readers have 

 forgotten how this is done it may be explained 

 that Quebec has adopted what has been 

 termed the 'Massachusetts system' of dealing 

 with those lands in settled communities 

 which are fitted only to produce forest trees. 

 By this system the province pays a nominal 

 price of SI per acre for all the lands in a 

 given district which it is intended to re- 

 forest. The Provincial Forester then examines 

 the tract, decides what trees it is advisable 

 to plant, and arranges for their planting. 

 The plant material is suppUed by the pro- 

 vincial nursery and the government pays 

 the cost of the work. The care and necessary 

 cultivation of the plantation devolves upon 

 the government for fifteen years from the 

 time of purchase, at the end of which time 

 the origmal owner may regain possession 

 of his lands upon payment of the cost of 

 planting and cultivation. In order, however, 

 that the owner will have a definite basis, 

 it is agreed that no matter what the cost has 

 been to the government, the re-purchase 

 price by the original owner will not exceed 

 1 10. per acre. 



This is not a compulsory law, but so far 

 there has been no difficulty in securing lands 

 to be planted under these conditions. In 

 fact at present the Department cannot 

 begin to overtake the work that is offered 

 in different parts of the province.. 



There seems Ukely to be a development of 

 this line of very great promise, which is the 

 acquirement by municipal organizations, 

 particularly by towns ancl cities of the com- 

 l)letc areas of these sand portions and the 

 maintenance of these as municipal forests. 

 This could be done by one of several methods. 

 For instance, the city night purchase the land 

 outright from its present owner, and then 

 turn It over to the government for the fifteen 

 year period; or it could act under the advice 

 of the Forestry Department, do its own 



