CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 67 



dry sandy points jutting forth into the lakes. There is a sufficient quantity of this 

 timber to supply seven or eight billion feet B.M. 



Banksian pine grows nearly everywhere on the poor, rocky and gravelly lands, 

 chiefly in the dry plains which have been formerly laid waste by fire. It is not ns 

 tall nor as good as the same kind of timber growing in the northern region, especially 

 that of the Lake St. John valley, bait nearly everywhere it is of a size large enough 

 to make railway ties. It is larger and of better quality towards the north ; 150,000,000 

 ties could probably be made out of this Banksian pine. 



In the eastern part of the central region white spruce, as far as the number of 

 rrees is concerned, is the prevailing growth, particularly in the St. Maurice territory. 

 It is less abundant in the Ottawa territory, but, as a rule, of better quality and larger 

 dimensions. In the central region, and only from the first cut, there is enough of 

 white spruce to manufacture sixty billion feet of saw-logs, taking only the logs meas- 

 uring eight inches in diameter and up, at the small end. The tops of the same trees 

 could yield upwards of fifteen million cords of pulp wood. 



There is as much, if not more, of black spruce susceptible of being used for pulp 

 \vood, and the quantity of this wood, which can be cut in all this region, is ovor 

 twenty million cords. The largest trees, which grow in comparatively large numbers 

 in the more favourable situations, could be used to make masts and spars, f rame'timber 

 and railway ties. 



Fir is very common all over the damp grounds. Taking into consideration the 

 fact that these trees are generally affected with rot, their yield may be estimated at 

 500,000,000 feet for saw-logs and 2,500,000 cords for pulp wood. 



Hemlock scarcely grows beyond the 47th parallel of latitude. Hardly a few 

 groves can be seen north of this latitude in the neighbourhood of Cape Tounnente. 

 In the western section it grows as far north as the River Keepawa. Between these 

 two extreme points the line marking the northern limit bends southward, describing 

 a curve which passes south of the River Mattawin, in the St. Maurice territory. This 

 tree, which rarely grows in groves, such as were formerly seen in the forests of the 

 southern region, is generally large and tall. This timber could yield a couple of hun- 

 dred million feet of lumber, or the equivalent in square timber. It could also produce 

 a couple of hundred thousand cords of tanbark. Unfortunately it floats only with 

 difficulty in the cold and heavier waters of the spring, so that it can be utilized by 

 trade only at those places where the drive is not long or where the logs can be trans- 

 ported by railway. 



Cedar grows throughout the whole of the central region. It is disseminated 

 mostly everywhere in the forest; but on the lake shores and river banks it forms in 

 many places almost impenetrable thickets. It also grows on the marshy depressions 

 end damp flats between the hills and mountains, and it covers almost exclusively large 

 fireas of swampy lands. In the dense thickets many of these trees are small and 

 stunted, but numberless quantities could make ties, telegraph poles and even square 

 timber for railroad culverts. The largest trees are most invariably hollow at the 

 stump; but these hollow butts are very profitably used in the manufacture of shingles. 

 Fence rails and pickets are made out of the smaller trees. Calculating on the very 

 conservative estimate of two ties per acre, on an average, there is enough of cedar in the 

 central region to make upwards of sixty million railroad ties. Poles for electric wires 

 would certainly reach about ten million, and the hollow butts would supply material 

 to manufacture many hundred million shingles. Add to this several million feet of 

 square timber for frames and culverts, myriads of pickets and fence rails, and you will 

 have an idea of what the cedar growing in the central region can contribute to forest 

 industry. 



Hardwoods are scattered mostly all over this region, but in a much smaller quan- 

 tity than conifers. Deciduous trees constitute about twenty-five per cent of the timber 

 fit for commercial purposes outside of the lands occupied for colonization purposes. 



Birch is the most numerous growth in the family of hard woods And in this 

 species, it is yellow birch (Betula excelsa) which prevails. Generally speaking, tlio 



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