228 



Canadian Forestry Journal, Ma)), 1919 



Of the remaiing 155,855 square miles, which Of the species used in the manufacture of 

 is capable of producing forests, only about pulp and paper (hemlock, balsam, spruce and 

 28,000 square miles -less than one-fifth — Cottonwood), there is 170 billion feet, which is 

 carries sufficient timber to be classified as stat- equivalent to 243 million cords of pulpwood. 

 utory timberland. In the interior of the pro- This may be increased to 250 million cords by 

 vince, there are areas of forest land, aggregat- utilizing smaller timber. As the supply of pulp- 

 ing 23,800 square miles, which, though not wood is becoming a very serious matter in east- 

 reaching this standard, carry between 1,000 b.f. ern North America, it is important to know that 

 and 5,000 b.f. per acre, part of which may be so considerable a supply may be obtained in 

 utilized. Only very meagre data have been ob- British Columbia. 



tained, as yet, as to the area of land which can During the last five years the total cut in the 



be used for agricultural purposes. The forest province has averaged only 1 ,250 million board 



land classification indicates that somewhat over feet. With a stand of 350,000 million board 



5,000 square miles is grass land or very open feet of timber of commercial size, and with 



forest, some of which is suitable for cultivation, over 100,000 square miles of land on which 



but the greater proportion is of value only for young forests are established and Vv'hich, if 



grazing. In addition, there is, perhaps, from protected, should produce from 5,000 million 



12,000 to 15,000 square miles, cleared or under to 7,000 million board fet per annum, it will 



forest, which is more valuable for agriculture be seen that the forest resources of British Col- 



than for forest production. Deducting this umbia can, under conservative exploitation, 



potential agricultural land, say 20,000 square supply at least live times the present cut with- 



miles, from the total capable of producing com- out seriously depleting the capital stock, 

 mercial timber, there is 135,855 square miles 

 of absolute forest land which should be devoted 



permanently to forest production. ]y[JJ^ AND MRS. CAMPER 



The timber on about 100,000 square miles, or 



two-thirds of the original forest land, has been 



totally destroyed by lire, and on over half of the „ j jjg^ j^^^^ j. ^ 



remammg 55,o55 square miles the timber has Yy ^ ^ n 



been seriously damaged, tl is estimated that pleaSC SCC that yOU IcaVC 



the province has lost, through forest fires, at 



least 655 billion feet board measure. As the nO sign of fire behind ! 



present total stand of saw material in the whole 



Dominion probably does not greatly exceed gj ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ 



this amount, the seriousness or this loss, due " 



very largely to public carelessness, is apparent. ^j.^ j^gt gTOWn-Up CaiTipfireS ! 



The following table indicates the composition 



of the present stand of saw material: 



Coast Interior Total 



Million Million Million 



bd. measure. Per feet Per feet Per 



Species. feet cent bd. measure cent bd. measure cent 



Western red cedar 59,000 27.4 18,019 13.2 77,019 22.1 



Douglas fir _ 64,000 29.4 12,573 9.2 76,573 21.8 



Spruce'^ 14,000 6.7 58,375 42.8 72,375 20.6 



Western hemlock 52,000 24.6 12,164 8.9 64,164 18.3 



Balsamt -- 19,000 9.2 13,838 10.2 32,838 9.5 



Lodgepole pine 20 .1 12,130 8.9 12,150 3.5 



Western yellow pine — 4.208 3.1 4,208 1.2 



Yellow cypress 3.700 1.9 ___ 3,700 1.1 



Western larch _-_ 3,152 2.3 3,152 .9 



White pine 1,100 .5 1,617 1.2 2,717 .8 



Black Cottonwood 400 .2 272 .2 672 .2 



213,220 100.0 136,348 100.0 349,568 100.0 



♦Includes Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce, white spruce and black spruce, 

 f Includes alpine fir, lowland fir and amabilis fir. 



