The Riding Mountain Forest Reserve. 



By Geo. King, Editor Dauphin (Man.) Preu. 



When ono roads of awful forest 

 f)res such as last suuuncr and au- 

 tumn rajjfcd in the states of Montana 

 and Tdaho, and to a less extent in 

 the state of Minnesota and the pro- 

 vinces of British Columbia and On- 

 tario, it is a matter of more than 

 usual interest to come in toueh with 

 what is being done in our own north- 

 west by the forestry department, 

 under the minister of the interior. 



While mueh work is being done 

 to protect the timber belts of the 

 west from fire, undoubtedly the most 

 important work is being carried on 

 in the Riding Mountain forest re- 

 serve. This reserve is one of the 

 largest in the west. It takes in 42 

 townships and is over 100 miles in 

 length. It has a thick growth of 

 spruce, poplar, bireh and some tam- 

 arae and oak. While fires have 

 done great danmge to the timber 

 along the foot of the mountain, no 

 great damage has been done in the 

 reserve, which of late years is at- 

 tributable to the energy and the 

 watchfulness of the forest rangers 

 under the direction of the chief for- 

 est ranger with headquarters at 

 Dauphin. 



Start of the Work. 



The practical work of protecting 

 the reserve started in the year 1008, 

 when a line, which might properly 

 be termed a survey line, was start- 

 ed west of Norgate in township 20, 

 range 15, and run for ten miles 

 northward by Forest Hanger Mc- 

 Leod. This line was run in the first 

 place with the object of demarca- 

 tion. 



In the following year, 1909, the 

 work of continuing the line was 

 started and 25 miles were covered 

 in a northwesterly direction, carry- 

 ing it to a point seven miles west 



of Oehre Hiver. This lin« was cut 

 a width of eight feet, and might be 

 called a good road, which also acted 

 as a fire ^uard. 



When the heavy fires were run- 

 ning last spring in the poplar timber 

 in the mountain the ranfrent found 

 that where they had room to work 

 they could do good work in this 

 class of timber in suppressini; the 

 fiames. With the knowledge thus 

 gained in fighting the fires so sue* 

 cessfully, it was decided to widen 

 the line from eight to sixteen and 

 twenty feet. In making the clear- 

 ing the trees are cut down close to 

 the ground and all parts removed, 

 as well as the underbnish, the fire 

 being thus prevented from spreading 

 when it reaches the opening. This 

 opening presents a pretty appear- 

 ance when the leaves are on the 

 trees, somewhat after the form of an 

 extended tunnel, as one glances down 

 it. 



Country Traversed by the Line. 



There have been ten miles of this 

 wide line cut this year, throuf?h belts 

 of heavy poplar and birch with thick 

 undergrowth. The line in many 

 places cro.s.ses big gulches and cuta, 

 some of these, according to sur- 

 veyor's notes, being two hundred 

 and fifty feet deep. The great tract 

 through which the line runs is re- 

 garded as the hogback of the moun- 

 tain. 



The formation of the mountain is 

 bed rock, being of heavy slate and 

 shale, covered with a layer of boul- 

 der clay. On the top of the clay is 

 the usual covering of loam and leaf 

 mould. 



Use of the Reserve. 



The land surrounding the moun- 

 tain is of the best for the pursuits of 



35 



