CANADIAN FORESTRY A.SWX7.177O.Y. 63 



1. The Northern Region; 



2. The Central Region; 



3. The Southern Region. 



Let us examine each of these regions separately. 



I. THE NORTHERN REGION. 



This is by far the largeat of the three. It embraces all that portion of the pro- 

 duce lying north of the St. Lawrence and of the 48th parallel from the intersection 

 of this line by the river, a short distance west 'of the River Saguenay. The forests 

 comprised within those limits cover an area of 162,749,788 acres, forming 77'58 pel 

 cent of the whole forest area of the province. This northern region embraces th> 

 territories of Abitibi, Mistassini, Ashuanipi, the county of Chicoutimi- Saguenay and 

 the north-west section of the counties of Champlain, St. Maurice, Maskinonge, Ber- 

 tliier, Joliette and Montcalm a superficies of 5,375,000 acres. 



Black Spruce (Picea nigra), is the prevailing and characteristic growth of that 

 region. It represents about GO per cent of the conifers of commercial value. On the 

 average, taking into consideration the burnt spaces, the wind-fo.lls and the sections 

 denuded oy other causes, black spruce would certainly yield 2 cords of pulp wood 

 +o the acre, equivalent to 1,500 feet board measure. At this rate, which is rather be- 

 ijw than above the mark, the forests of the northern region could supply 406,874,470 

 cords of pulp wood, or 244 billions, 124 millions, 682 thousand feet board measure of 

 lumber. 



Those quantities, of course, include only the trees measuring seven inches in 

 diameter on the stump, as the rules of the Department of Crown Lands do not allow the 

 cutting of trees of a less diameter. 



It takes less than thirty trees of six inches in diameter and sixteen feet in length 

 of utilisable timber to form a cord of 128 cubic feet. Mostly everywhere those black 

 f-pruce forests are very thick; in the most favourable places, the trees grow tall, close 

 to one another, so much so, in fact, that 500, 600, 700 trees are often found in one 

 acre of ground, which represents from 10 to 20 cords of pulp wood to the acre. 



It may be added that throughout this region, where the land is higher and the 

 soil deeper, there are many black spruce trees measuring ten to twelve inches across 

 the stump, which materially increases the yield per acre. 



./is regards the number of trees, fir (Abies balsamifera), is nearly as abundant 

 as black spruce, but the trees are not as tall and their yield in utilisable wood pro- 

 bably does not exceed 25 por cent of that of black spruce. For the whole of the nor 

 them region, this proportion represents 101,718,617 cords, equivalent to 61 billions, 

 'A millions, 170 thousand feet board measure. 



The white spruce (Picea alba), will yield a much larger quantity of lumber, and 

 75 billion feet is certainly not an exaggerated estimate of the saw-logs which can \>e 

 cut in this region, taking only the trees measuring eleven inches in diameter on the 

 stump. Then there would still be left in the tops utilisable wood to make millions 

 of cords of pulp wood. 



In the southern section of the Abitibi territory, or over an area covering 15,000,- 

 000 acres, white spruce attains dimensions which make it equal to the finest timhor 

 of that kind to be found in the central and southern regions. In the course of his 

 explorations, Mr. Henry O'Sullivan has seen trees measuring one hundred feet in 

 length and twenty inches in diameter. ' White Spruce,' says Dr. Bell, ' is perhaps the 

 most v:ilu:ihlr. tivr of the district explored. It grows to a great size everywhere alon* 

 the river? and Likes, and .ilthoutfh as a rule, it may be larger mar their hanks, where 

 it often girths upwards of six feet, a considerable portion of the trees inland also 

 'attain a good size.' The timber is sound; as a rule the trunks run to a great height 

 without branches and in every respect this white, spruce ranks amoi tr>t the v<-ry best 

 timber for the manufncuiv of first-class saw-logs. In this section of th<; Al.iti1> 



