516 



Canadian forestry Magazine, \'ui'enibcr, /p^^ 



Wit>- 



The party engaged in the aerial forestry reconnaissance at Haileybury, Ontario : — Seated on top. Captain 

 McFwen, pilot; H. McClatchey, mechanic; standing, G. H. Edgecombe, Roland D. Craig and Dr. J. M. 



Swaine. 



An Aerial Survey of the Forests in 

 Northern Ontario 



By Roland D. Craig, F.E. 



A most interesting- experiment in the 

 use of aircraft for forest investigations 

 was recently conducted in Nortliern 

 Ontario. The Air Board furnished a 

 sea-plane and crew for the joint use of 

 the Commission of Conservation and the 

 Entomological Branch of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for the purpose of 

 mapping in the forest areas and also to 

 study the progress of the spruce bud- 

 worm infestation which is spreading 

 throughout the northern pulpwood 

 forests. 



Tlie machine used was a Curtiss fly- 

 ing boat, officially known as the H.C. 2 

 L. type. It has a wing-spread of 78 feet 

 and is equipped with a 360 h.p. liberty 

 naval type motor. In addition to the 

 pilot, the boat will carry two observers. 



As mentioned in the last issue of this 

 magazine, on September 15th. Col. Robt. 

 Leckie, D.S.O., M.C., D.F.C., piloted the 

 machine from Ottawa to Haileybury with 

 Air. Clyde Leavitt, Chief Forester of the 

 Commission of Conservation and Dr. J. 

 M. Swaine, Forest Entomologist, as pas- 

 sengers. The trip by way of ]\Iattawa 

 and North Bay, covering 336 miles, was 

 made in five hours flying time. Col. 

 Leckie had to return to Ottawa for his 

 trans-'Canada flight and left Capt. P. 



Wickens, A.F.C., as pilot. Later Capt. 

 C. McEwen, M.C., D.F.C., reheved Capt. 

 \\'ickens. Dr. Swaine and Mr. B. M. 

 Dunn conducted the entomological in- 

 vestigations while G. H. Edgecombe and 

 the writer mapped in the forest types. 

 Haileybury was used as a base until Oct. 

 7th, when the party moved to North Bay 

 and the forest survey continued in that 

 region. 



First Time For Insect Studies. 

 This is believed to be the first instance 

 in which aircraft have been used in in- 

 sect studies and the results have proved 

 most satisfactory. In a few hours fly- 

 ing over the region between Kipewa lake 

 and Larder lake, the limits of the bud- 

 worm infestation and the extent of the 

 damage was determined by noting the 

 discoloration of the aft'ected balsam and 

 spruce trees. This pest has already de- 

 stroyed millions of dollars worth of bal- 

 sam and spruce in Quebec and New 

 Brunswick, but it has just made its ap- 

 pearance in Ontario. It is of the utmost 

 importance to the timber owners and the 

 Government to find out quickly the areas 

 afifected and the direction in which the 

 infestation is spreading in order that the 

 pulpwood may be utilized before it is 

 rendered useless, which usuallv occurs 



