CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 29 



Nothing but words of commendation can be used in speaking of the wise and far- 

 sighted policy of the Ontario government in having inaugurated this policy, and it 

 should be followed up by a still greater extension of the system, as fast as exact infor- 

 mation is acquired by the Bureau of Forestry. 



There is still a very large area of country extending to the west and north from 

 the last-named reserve, along both sides of the watershed between the Georgian Bay 

 and James Bay waters, quite unfit, in a general way, for grain growing, but well suited 

 for the growth of conifers, by which it is at present largely covered. The land is in 

 the possession of the Provincial Government and only a small portion of it is under 

 license. Within the area stands a large proportion of the white and red pine not yet 

 sold, and how to deal with this remnant of what was once a mighty forest in Ontario, 

 is the pressing question. It would be quite superfluous to offer any argument before 

 the Dominion Forestry Association about the value of white pine, or the necessity 

 of strictly caring for its future growth in all localities where it at present exists ; 

 the extension therefore of the present reserves to cover the pine-bearing territory north 

 and south of the watershed is self-evident. The height of land runs in an uneven line 

 in a westerly direction from the sources of the Montreal River to the source of the 

 Mississaga River, which flows to the Georgian Bay, and within this area, north and 

 south of the line, is the as yet unsold pine. The general character of this great 

 territory makes it far more valuable for a forest reserve than it can ever be for agri- 

 cultural purposes, and there should be no hesitation in placing it in the proper place. 

 The policy pursued by the Department of Crown Lands in selling only the white and_ 

 red pine on licensed lands is open to question. It is very desirable that on all berths 

 the growth of pine, as the most valuable wood, should be facilitated and encouraged ; 

 this can hardly be done by cutting down all the merchantable pine and leaving its place 

 to be taken up by balsam, hemlock, spruce or any other wood covering the ground. 

 Good forestry requires that the merchantable trees of these varieties should also be 

 cut down to allow the seed of the pine to germinate, which it will not do under the 

 close shade of other trees. Hitherto it would not pay lumbermen in many places to 

 cut either hemlock, spruce, or balsam, but now that the price has increased they should 

 be cut down and not allowed to usurp the place of more valuable timber; and the 

 same may be said of localities where hardwood predominates. If the pine is cut down 

 and the crown of the forest left intact then pine will not come up again under its shade, 

 or if it does, will be under stunted conditions. 



Looking, therefore, to the re-growth of pine, a different policy will have to be 

 devised than what amounts to extermination of the pine and the encouragement of 

 the growth of inferior and less valuable varieties. It is manifest that if the red and 

 white pine only on a berth are sold and the term of fifteen years retained, when the 

 berth at the end of the time comes back into the hands of the Government it will be 

 covered only by inferior varieties, growing with accelerated speed, having been freed 

 from the overshadowing influence of the pine. No special formula of treatment can 

 be given, as each berth will present a different problem, but any intelligent forester can 

 work towards the desired end, and it is for the department to see that in their selling 

 policy this is kept steadily in mind. 



There is another view with reference to forest reserves, that although occasionally 

 spoken of has not been seriously discussed : that is the desirability of extending the 

 reserves to land now under license to lumbermen ; the preservation of young growing 

 pine is attracting year by year more of the thoughtful lumbermen's attention, the old 

 notion of pine not succeeding pine is passing away, and a keen sense of the value of 

 young pine trees coming up again after the original forest has been cut down, is now 

 prevalent. There can be no question of selling land to settlers that is fit for cultiva- 

 tion; but because a license has been sold covering a district which is more fit for forest 

 growth than farming is an additional reason why it should be retained for that pur- 

 pose, and placed in the forest reserve permanently. No question can then come up 

 between the lumbermen and the settler which hitherto has led to so much bad feeling. 



