114 r.\\.\D!AN FORESTRY A8SOCIATI<>\ 



* The prospective loss can scarcely be estimated as much of the land over which 

 'his fire travelled was burned so deeply as to destroy all the seeds that were in the 

 soil; in<leo<l in many places the soil itself was burned so that nothing is left to sup- 

 port vegetation until a new soil has been formed. This will take many years,' 



Other statements are as follows : 



' The loss to Western Nova Scotia will, I think, reach over one million dollars, 

 and the loss will be doubled every tuvnty years for the next hundred years, when the 

 country may recover a new forest, if it has not been burned again in all that time. 

 The origin of most of the fires of the district are attributable to the railway engineers, 

 as they are certain to burn forest country in a dry season, as can be seen on any road 

 in British America, where nine-tenths of the bordering lands are burned if timbered 

 with spruce or fir wood.' 



' The fire destroyed to a certain extent all kinds of game and killed large numbers 

 of small trout. Our fish and game will likely become a thing of the past if the fires 

 continue as they have done in 1902-1903.' 



' Every log that comes down the river in the spring will be burnt timber. The 

 lose in dollars is too much for me to estimate.' 



In Hants and Halifax counties the losses are smaller, but for Colchester, Pictou 

 and Guysborough an estimate^of 20,000 acres is given, with a value, present and pro- 

 spective, of $250,000. Cumberland county was one of the greatest sufferers, the burned 

 area being estimated by different persons at from 50,000 to 100,000 acres, with a loss 

 of half a million or more. 



Here are a few samples of the statements in the reports from the latter county : 



' Last spring we experienced the most disastrous year for forest fires that the 

 writer in his whole lifetime has ever experienced. Millions of dollars worth of pro- 

 perty in our forest has been destroyed and legislation to prevent such another disaster 

 is surely now in order.' 



'We have had in Cumberland county during the present year more forest fires 

 than in any previous year that I can remember. The worst of these fires 



were started from portable mills, in most cases though gross carelessness of parties 

 operating the same.' 



The excitement of the occasion may be sufficient excuse for the somewhat Hiber- 

 nian statement made by one person that no person living on earth to-day will have 

 an opportunity to cut a green tree on this territory for 75 of even 100 years. 



The seriousness of the situation led to the introduction of a measure in the 

 Legislature by the Government to provide an organization by means of a staff of 

 county fire wardens for enforcing the provisions of the Fire Act. This Act improves 

 in some respects the restrictions of the Fire Act, but its chief feature is the provision 

 that the Governor in Council may appoint a chief forest-ranger for any municipality 

 in the province, whose duty it shall be to take all suitable measures for carrying into 

 effect the provisions of the Act The duties of the office are further enumerated as to 

 periodically travel over all woodlands in the municipality, whether belonging to the 

 Crown or private owners or under lease from the Crown, to appoint other persons to 

 act as rangers under his direction, to institute proceedings against offenders, to trace 

 the origin of every woods fire, to post fire notices, and to make a full annual report 

 on fires. Holders of one thousand acres or more of timber or uncultivated land in any 

 municipality where a ranger has been appointed may be assessed for an additional 

 amount equal to three-eighths of one cent per acre, thus providing a revenue to be 

 applied towards defraying the expenses of the service. 



This is an important forward step and the basis of future development for as one 

 Nova Scotia lumberman stated 'After fires are stopped forestry (i.e., reforestation'* 

 will be a live subject and after having given considerable thought and study to it I 

 have no hesitation in saying that I think it can easily be made successful and profit- 

 able. But fires must be stopped flrst.' 



