Canadian Forestry Magazine ^ October, ip20. 



469 



New Forests for Nova Scotia's Barrens 



by Freeman Tupper, Acting Woods Manager, 

 Macleod Pulp and Paper Company. 



In looking over the forestry maps of 

 Nova Scotia one cannot help but be 

 impressed, and, if a lover of the for- 

 est, saddened, at the large percentage 

 of the colour representing barrens. 

 Still more will one be impressed, and 

 saddened if he should traverse these 

 barrens, and see the vast extent of 

 waste, multitudes of valueless bushes, 

 and huge pine stubs reminding us of 

 the untold wealth which should have 

 enriched our people. "Our Heritage" 

 swept away in a moment ! 



The passing of this heritage was 

 keenly felt by the older generation 

 who remember the "forest primeval." 

 Its far reaching effects pass on to the 

 present generation, who, having a 

 better perspective, are beginning to 

 realize what the appalling loss really 

 means. It is true we have some tim- 

 ber in sight wdiich is being depleted 

 by loss from windfalls and lumbering 

 operations, and fires are still a com- 

 mon occurrence. Therefore, if 'the 

 present generation do not endeavour 

 to guard what we already have, the 

 future generation will drink the bit- 

 ter dregs, and the loss will l)c nation 

 wide. 



Many of our barrens have been vis- 

 ited by prospectors, seeking a hiddi-n 

 wealth, but they only succeeded in a 

 small degree. Farming is out of the 

 question, so it is evident that tlie luilv 

 thing left for these lands to serve tlu- 

 public welfare is forests. 



Considering the l)arrens of (Juecns 

 County. ])articularly those along the 

 watershed of the Liverpool ri\er and 

 head-waters, to be a fair average of 

 barrens throughout the pro\ince. there 



are a few facts regarding them which 

 should be brought to the public at- 

 tention. 



Some six or seven years ago, while 

 conducting certain surveys, I had oc- 

 casion to visit many sections of bar- 

 rens in Queens County. They were 

 indeed a treeless waste, but are var- 

 ied in nature owing to repeated fires- 

 over portions, so that the original 

 burned areas can now be divided into 

 three distinct classes: 



Class 1. — Open Barrens, devoid of 

 trees or stubs, and in some places with, 

 suft'icient soil to cover the rocks. 



Class 2. — Portions of barrens cover- 

 ed with myriads of burned trees and 

 windfalls. 



Class 2. -Portions of barrens not 

 burned since original fire, now cover- 

 ed by forest of young hardwood. 



During the fall of 1919 and spring- 

 of 1920. I renewed the surveys men- 

 tioned above. A\'e were amazed and 

 delighted to see the change nature 

 had wrought in a few years. Spruce.' 

 red and white pine were growing by 

 the thousands over sections of classes 

 1 and 2. Even on portions of Class 1,. 

 where the soil had been l>urned ex- 

 posing rocks and boulders, where 

 modern forestry would perhaps hesi- 

 tate to replant, were also red and 

 white pine from teia feet down, all 

 growing in a perfectly healthy condi- 

 ti( m. 



What Nature is doing on tiiese bar- 

 rens of (Jueen's C (»unty at the present 

 time, and on many other portions of 

 barrens in the Province where my in- 

 terest in the matter led nic to visit, 

 is exactly in line with the policy of 



