90 ' \\ADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



conserver of the water supply. For these reasons : the forest litter, as it is called, the 

 covering of the ground, moss, vegetable matter, &c., which has decayed through a long 

 ..urse f years, acts as a sponge retaining the water and preventing its run-off, and 

 allowing a very much slower sinkage of water to the soil underneath the trees. Then 

 I think a more important influence of the forest in conserving the water supply is its 

 behaviour towards the snowfall. It prevents its flowing away; holds it there in all 

 the quantity that falls. And not only that, the effect of the forest on the temperature 

 generally in the spring is very marked, lowering it very considerably, the tree crowns 

 preventing a rapid melting of the snow, and therefore keeping the snowfall in the 

 forest several weeks longer than in the open. There is, therefore, maintained a con- 

 stant melting of snow throughout the spring months which, as we see at once, affords 

 the supply for the plains below. Now we have seen, in the paper which we have just 

 heard, the influence of the forest on irrigation, but I want to point out the import- 

 ance of this for the eastern part of Canada as well, so that we may see that it is of 

 Canadian significance. The forest situated on these watersheds is essential to the 

 maintenance of springs and wells. The destruction of the foresrs means the destruc- 

 tion, or at any rate, the lowering of the spring water, and the ground water level, and 

 the lowering of the whole surface, arid increases the difficulty of maintaining a water 

 supply on the farm. Then, too, up in the newer parts of Ontario, more particularly 

 this applies. It is important that we recommend the maintenance of the forests on 

 the watersheds, the high lands. In order that the great reserves of water power there, 

 the tremendous waterfalls, shall retain their value we need to apprehend that they 

 depend for their continuation upon the perpetuation of the forest on the watershed. 

 Therefore it seems to me that this Association should recommend two things as cover- 

 ing the whole of Canada the preservation of the forest on the head of waters, at 

 watersheds, and secondly the reforestation of hillsides all over the country, because 

 that reforestation will undoubtedly mean, if it is extended far enough, the restoration 

 to some extent at least, of our perennial streams and of our springs, and the preven- 

 tion of destructive floods in the springtime. These two points, then, it seems to me, 

 come within this general question, the preservation of the forest on watersheds, and, 

 second, the reforestation of hillsides over the whole of the Dominion. 



Mr. BELL. Mr. President, I am very sorry indeed that Mr. Dennis is not here to 

 take part in the discussion that must arise over such a very important and valuable 

 paper. It seems to me that the paper is one of the most important that has come before 

 the Association at this meeting. It is a subject in which I have taken considerable 

 interest and have had occasion to give attention to as editor of the Canadian Engineer, 

 more particularly the engineering features of it. However, I am tolerably familiar 

 with a good deal of the ground that is referred to by Mr. Dennis in connection with 

 his paper. Some years ago I was connected with the surveys for the Canadian Pacific 

 Railway, and I can remember having to send long distances, sometimes ten miles, in 

 order to get a supply of wood for our camps. I used to wonder how the settlers that 

 it was expected would flock into that country would get their wood. I think the ques- 

 tion is pretty well settled. This is impressed upon anyone who visits the Brandon 

 Experimental Farm and sees the work going on there, as will be shown by photographs 

 on exhibition here. Very considerable forests have grown up in the course of ten or 

 twelve years, and I think the introduction of scientific forestry is gradually solving 



