Canadian Forestry Journal, January, 1919 



27 



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Building up a new forest nui.seiy, under the Dominion Forestry Branch, at Sutherland, 



near Saskatoon. 



A NEW TREE SUPPLY BASE IN THE WEST 



One and a Half Million Trees 

 Set Out in the Past Year. 



The Tree Planting Division of the Forestry 

 Branch, Department of the Interior, has for the 

 past eighteen years been encouraging the plant- 

 of trees by settlers of the prairie in Western 

 Canada. The primary purpose of this planting 

 as planned by the Department is the providing 

 of shelter belts against adverse winds for dwell- 

 ings, live stock and gardens, and to beautify the 

 home surroundings and later perhaps become a 

 source of supply for fuel. That the Depart- 

 ment's co-operative system for the distribution 

 of trees has been an unqualified success is evi- 

 denced by the fact that the producing capacity 

 of the 480-acre nursery at Indian Head, Saskat- 

 chewan, was reached several years ago. From 

 54 applicants for trees in 1901, the numb;r 



steadily increased until it had reached 5,723 in 

 1910, and the trees set out each year during this 

 time rose from 58,800 to 2,570,000. It became 

 apparent that if the rates of increase in applica- 

 tions continued it would soon become necessary 

 either to obtain some additional supply or to 

 reduce considerably the number of trees sent out 

 to each applicant. To take the latter step was 

 not considered advisable, since satisfactory 

 growth and protection can not be maintained 

 unless the trees are closely planted, and the 

 Department accordingly proceeded to secure a 

 new nursery site. After earful investigation a 

 half section of land located near the town of 

 Sutherland in the outskirts of the city of Saska- 

 toon, Saskatchewan, was chosen in 1912. In 



Some encourasinf,"^ results in the iilaiitiiiK <>l' har.lwdu.l trees at the Sutherlami Forest Nursery. 



