116 



Canadian Forestry Journal, March, 1919 



gated in order that every available asset may 

 be put to the utmost practical use. 



We in Canada have our Re-construction com- 

 mittees, our Scientific Research Commission, 

 and other bodies established for the purpose of 

 directing the nation's most efficient efforts in the 

 best channels. 



What of Replacement? 



And so it should be with the forests. What 

 have we got and what are we going to do with 

 it? Are we to look upon our forest as the miner 

 looks upon his underground treasure, or as the 

 prudent husbandman looks upon his farm? Are 

 we to keep on taking out without any hope of 

 replacement, or are we by a wise and systematic 

 cultivation to perpetuate one of the country's 

 greatest assets? 



In one direction we have made remarkable 

 strides since the foundation of the "Canadian 

 Forestry Association", by Sir Henri Joli de Lot- 

 biniere and certain other kindred spirits in 1900. 

 Since that time it can be safely said that the 

 Government and lumbermen have vied with 

 each other in spending their time and money 

 for protection against fire to such an extent that 

 we can see the day, when in the not far distant 

 future, the forest fire losses will be reduced to 

 a negligible minimum. 



There is no doubt but that the hand of man 

 has in recent years rapidly decreased our avail- 

 able supply of forest products. This has been 

 brought about partly by the greatly increased 

 demand for lumber from all over the world, and 

 in particular from the United States, and by the 

 immense strides made in the pulp and paper 

 business which must, in order to feed its grind- 

 ers, and eventually by means of newsprint paper 

 spread knowledge and education abroad, have 

 at its disposal thousands of cords of spruce and 

 balsam. 



Gold and Timber. 



The words of John Evelyn are as true to-day 

 as they were in bye-gone ages: "We had better 

 be without gold than without timber," and if it 

 is useful in every art and trade then surely a 

 nation as a whole must interest intself in the 

 welfare of its citizens. 



The objection has often been raised that in 

 this country as well as in the United States we 

 are too fond of saying, "Let the Government do 

 it". So it is in this case. On the state, of 

 course, devolves the supreme responsibility for 

 its own sake, as well as owing to the fact that 

 annually $7,000,000 are collected from the limit- 

 holders of Canada. But there must be co-opera- 



tion and assistance even to the point of pecun- 

 iary sacrifice on the part of all classes, and in 

 particular on the part of that class which is 

 deriving a material benefit from the exploita- 

 tion of the forests. 



The Task of Governments. 



Speaking as a Quebec limit-holder, I may say 

 that the help which the individual lumberman 

 can give to this work is not very great. The 

 fact that the settler may within a short time 

 clear the land completely of all timber is scarcely 

 encouraging, even if one had the means to sys- 

 tematically carry on a programme of forestry. 

 So that the work must be undertaken by joint 

 effort and co-operation with the governmental 

 authorities, and the first step is, I think, in- 

 corporated in the resolution which I am about 

 to propose to you. 



Would it not be well, before going into this 

 matter any further and taking any steps which 

 we might afterwards have reason to regret, to 

 find out exactly what we have. How much tim- 

 ber is there in this Canada of ours? We have 

 figures given by various provinces, but they are 

 at best only approximate. As nearly as can 

 be made out, the area given as forest area in- 

 cludes everything which is not town lots, mining 

 leases, or cultivated land, and with the excep- 

 tion of the largest lakes no account is taken for 

 water, and further, the barren lands to the north 

 would seem to be included. Such a condition 

 of affairs can hardly surprise anyone. With one 

 exception no Government has as yet undertaken 

 a thorough and systematic survey of the forest 

 lands under its control. 



What's in the North? 



Who knows, for instance, the quantity, the 

 quality of the different species which He in 

 Ungava, or in the great north land of Ontario? 

 What are the means of transportation there- 

 from? Is the timber accessible? Is the ex- 

 ploitation of that country a commercial pos- 

 sibility? 



The Province of New Brunswick has already 

 undertaken such a survey, and in the words of 

 Mr. G. H. Prince, "It will %\\^ definite informa- 

 tion of the quantity, quality and value of the 

 timber on any area, from which the stumpage 

 value may be determined. It will show the 

 quantity and quality of species now of little 

 commercial importance because of lack of 

 market demand, and possibly it may show that 

 these species can be marketed profitably, or 

 where quantity justifies it, to induce industries 



