Canadian Forestry Magazine, Xovonbcr, i<^20 



523 



between the Commission on the one 

 hand, and the Lanrentide and Riordon 

 Companies in Quebec. I'athurst Lumber 

 Company and the Xew IJrunswick 

 Forest Service in Xew I Brunswick, and 

 the Abitibi Power and Paper Company 

 and the Spanish River Pulp and Paper 

 ]\Iills in Ontario. These co-operating- 

 organizations have borne a share of the 

 cost of collecting data in the hel 1, tnider 

 the foresters of the Commission. 



Gcttini^ Dcncn to Brass Tack. 



The investigations under \\a}' involve 

 a study of the present methods of cut- 

 ting upon the character of the forest, 

 the amount and kind of natural repro- 

 duction, the rate of growth which is tak- 

 ing place, and the efifect of forest fires 

 u])on the future of the forest. The 

 astonishing development of the Cana- 

 dian pulp and paper inckistry during 

 the past few years is of sucli tremendous 

 importance in the economic and indus- 

 trial life of the countrv that too much 

 emphasis can not be ])laced u])()n the 

 necessity for ensuring a per])etual sup- 

 ply of the raw material so vitally essen- 

 tial to the continued existence of tliis 

 great industry. To this (.-mk a vast 

 amount of research will be necessary, 

 challenging the best efforts of all the 

 various agencies, 1)otb ])ublic anil ])ri- 

 vate, which may l)e in a position to en- 

 gage in such work. 



.Sight sliould not l)e lost of the fact 

 that Uu' forest rc^ourci's of C'anada 

 amouiU all together lo onl\ about one- 

 tlu'rd of those of the I 'uitnl .Slates. In 

 the I'nited Slates, die process of fore>t 

 • k'vastalion has proceok-d lo a point 

 which is causing the greatest alarm in 

 well-in lornied circles, both ])nblic and 

 private. .It is generalK adniilted. for ex- 

 ample, that exploitation of ilie forests in 

 that counlr\- is taking place fom- limes as 

 fast as the ftirests are growing. ( )ne 

 great forest region after another li.is 

 been largely depleted of its forests, so 



that the East is to a constantly increas- 

 ing extent becoming dependent for its 

 forest products upon tlie west or upon 

 Canada. .\11 this is the direct result, 

 first of lack of protection against forest 

 fires, and, secondly, of the almost com- 

 plete absence of any regulation of the 

 methods of cutting with a view to leav- 

 ing cut-over lands in a condition to pro- 

 duce another crop of valuable tree 

 s|)ecies. 



In Canada, while our forests are un- 

 questionably of great extent, they are by 

 no means inexhaustible. Fires have 

 caused uiUold damage in the past, and 

 still continue to take their toll each vear. 

 though the situation in this respect has 

 certainly improved. Nevertheless, in no 

 pro\ince can it be said that fire protec- 

 tion is yet on an adequate basis. Forest 

 insect pests and fungus diseases cause 

 annual losses even greater than those 

 due to fires. 



IVJiat of the Diameter Limit.' 



So far as the practice of scientific 

 forestry is concerned, conditions are still 

 in a most prinn'iive stage of development. 

 Xearl\- everywhere, the aim of the oper- 

 ator is the greatest immediate profit. 

 leaving it to .Xature to determine the 

 character ol the future forest, if an\-. 

 I rue. in most of the pro\inces. diameter 

 limit regulations are i>rescribeil b\- ( lov- 

 crnmental authority to govern cutting on 

 (rowu lauds. It has been shown, how- 

 c\er. that di.imeter limit regulation does 

 not provide at all satisf.ielorib for the 

 reproiluction of the more \alnalile 

 species in our mixed forests. It is per- 

 lectly ob\ious that the method of treat- 

 ment nuisi he ad.ipled to the conditions 

 on the L;round. .and that these conditions 

 will \ary malciiallx between dilTerent 

 regions, and with the wirious t\pes of 

 loresl and of soil and moisture condi- 

 tions in each tyi)e. 



