Canadian Forestry Journal, January^, 1919 



PLANTING UP THE IRRIGATION BLOCK 



A Simple Scheme to Offset the "Move-on' 



Instinct of the Prairie Farmer in the 



Treeless Home. 



A far-seeing scheme of tree planting has been 

 put into effect by the Department of Natural 

 Resources of the Canadian Pacific Railway Com- 

 paiy on the irrigation block east of Calgary. 

 Naturally devoid of any tree growth and yet 

 with great potentialities in agricultural pro- 

 duction under the stimulus of an irrigation sys- 

 tem, it was early realized by the management 

 that no matter how fine the building that may 

 be put up on the bald prairie, it can never be a 

 real home unless there are some trees and shrubs 

 upon the ground. Most of the settlers coming 

 to the irrigated lands had their origin in well 

 treed districts and all of their old associations 

 are very intimately connected with the trees 

 growing about their old homesteads and the leaf- 

 shaded lanes through which they played as 

 children. The aesthetic side of prairie farming 

 is coming to be recognized as having vast prac- 

 tical importance. For example, if a settler can 

 be induced to become interested in the appear- 

 ance of his farm, particularly to the point where 

 he will plant a grove of trees, it is reasonably 

 certain that, unlike many prairie farmers, he 

 will soon have something mora than a transient 

 business interest in the property. Once that 

 attitude is developed it is but logical to assume 

 that the settler will not start out to "mine" the 

 soil with th? object of getting as much quick 

 money as possible and then selling out. The 

 Canadian Pacific Raiway Company has done a 

 splendid service in encouraging planting of trees 

 around the homes on the irrigation block and 

 has distributed each year, without charge, quan- 

 tities of trees which have been found by experi- 

 ment to be hardy in the district. Mr. R. D. 

 Prettie is the Company's Superintendent of 

 Forestry at Calgary. 



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MAPLE SUGAR OPPORTUNITIES. 



One of the opportunities open to Canadians 

 is the development of the maple sugar industry, 

 according to a bulletin on th? subject of maple 

 sugar issued by the Department of Agricultur?. 



The production of mapb sugar and syrup 

 should have increased with the increasing mar- 



ket for luxuries, but have not done so, the 

 bulletin points out. The yearly production of 

 maple sugar, together with its equivalent in 

 syrup, has fallen from more than 22,000 pounds 

 in the eighties of the past century, to about 

 20,000 pounds during recent seasons. 



-5S 



THE ASSOCIATION'S 

 MAIL BAG. 



"We are in hearty sympathy with the objects 

 of the Forestry Association, particularly with 

 the educational work it is doing." 



D. M. McDOUGALL, President. 

 Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Co. 



"We cannot speak too highly of the effort you 

 are making towards the safeguarding of Can- 

 adian forests from fire." 



NICOLA PINE MILLS Limited. 



Canford Mills, B.C. 



RESULTS OF EDUCATION. 



CANADIAN PULP AND PAPER 

 ASSOCIATION. 



Windsor. Que., Dae. 10. |0I8. 

 Canadian Forestry Association, 



Ottawa, Ont. 

 Dear Sirs: 



I notice with great interest among the people 

 throughout the country a gradual awakening to 

 the seriousness of loss from bush fires. So much 

 of this is due to the constant effort of your 

 Association that it is with great pleasure I extend 

 congratulations 



^ ours truly, 



(Sgd.) F. J. C.AMPBPELL. 



President. Canadian Pulp & 



Paper .Association. 



