g r.i.V.I/'/.l.V rnltl-:sTKY .(SSOCIATJON 



to change this Act and give a more efficient fire protection, &c. Make it of a more 

 general character, if you will, but I would like to draw attention to the fact that that 

 is inn the right time of the year to burn. It may be, they will not do it, but it will 

 be a suggestion from practical men who know something about it. We can frame a 

 resolution in a courteous manner, and in such a way that it will not offend the Gov- 

 ernment at all; in fact, it is quite possible they will be very glad to do it. 



Mr. HALL. A commission is sitting in Quebec now with this matter under con- 

 sideration. 1 think we are pretty well agreed that when the forest is in full bloom 

 is the time of the year when there is least danger of having a spreading forest fire. 

 I \\i-h \vc could get it into the heads of our settlers that it is not necessary to burn 

 at all. However, at the present time things are on that basis. I think it only fail 

 to the meeting to state that the next clause of the Act stipulates that in the event of 

 continued drouth between those dates, June 15 to August 31, the Commissioner is 

 empowered to prohibit the setting of fires for the purpose of clearing during said 

 drouths. 



Mr. LITTLE. Something similar to this occurred last year. The premier of tho 

 province brought forward a resolution sent to him by this Association to enable him 

 to go before the House asking for changes. This will go down there and .enable the 

 Commissioner to state that this change is necessary because of the attention being 

 drawn to it. 



THE LAURENTIDES NATIONAL PARK. 



(By W. 0. J. Hall, Department of Lands, Forest and Fisheries, Quebec.) 



This extensive reservation consists of a territory situated partly in Charlevoix, 

 Montmorency and Quebec counties, to the north of the city of Quebec, comprising 

 2,650 square miles, or say nearly 1,700,000 acres, and was created a park by Act of 

 legislature on January 12, 1895. 



In brief the boundaries are as follows : On the north the 48th parallel; on tho 

 east the St. Urbain road; on the south and southeast the rear line of the Seigniory 

 of Beaupre and the XII. and XIII. ranges of Stoneham and Tewkesbury; and on 

 the west by the Fief Hubert and an imaginary line running to a point west of Grand 

 Lake Batiscan, thence skirting the Quebec and Lake St. John Railway to the inter- 

 section of the 48th parallel. 



The objects of the park, as cited in the preamble of the Act, are as follows : 

 The protection of the forests, fish and game; the maintenance of the water supply, 

 and the encouragement of the study and culture of forest trees. An appropriate 

 selection of territory was made for the furtherance of these objects. Over a dozen 

 large rivers take their rise in the interior of the park, which is remote from the lines 

 of colonization and which has always been celebrated as a hunting and fishing ground. 



Touching upon the forests of the park and their protection, it is well to make 

 clear the point that the cutting of timber within its boundaries is not prohibited. 

 On the contrary, a large area is under license, and some of these limits are bein 

 operated upon at the present time, e.g., in the valley of the Batiscan. 



So far, the limit-holders have removed only mature growth, which system of 

 cutting, when properly cen trolled, eventually improves the forests and induces a 

 faster and healthier growth of the residue. 



Again, these operations are now, and for a great length of time will be, confined 

 to the cutting of spruce, fir and pine, leaving the hardwoods intact. But should nt 



