gg i-.lY.l/J/lY FORWTIfY \XSOCIATION. 



finest timber of this kind is found in the St. Maurice and Ottawa territories. Black 

 birch (Betula lento), is less abundant, but usually of large size. In the Ottawa terri- 

 tory it attains the diameter of thirty inches. Calculating upon the low- basis of 100 feet 

 to the acre, nnd taking only the trees measuring twelve inches on the stump, there is 

 in this region birch enough to cut at least 200,000,000 feet B.M. of good sound lumber. 



White, or canoe birch of a size to make spool wood and saw-logs would yield 

 150,000,000 feet or 250,000 cords. This would be the yield of the primitive growth 

 exclusively. The second growth, which occupies so large a portion of the lands devas- 

 tated by fire, will ere long supply a much larger yield, and besides a practically in- 

 exhaustible supply of fuel. 



Of the maples, the hard or sugar variety is the most abundant. It is also the 

 variety which generally attains the largest size. Practically speaking, white or 

 silver maple is not to be found in this region. Red or soft maple is seen mostly every- 

 vhere in swamps and low lands. These two kinds of maple could yield as much 

 timber and lumber as yellow and black birch, and also enormous quantities of fuel 

 for home use and for distillation in the manufacture of pyroligneous products. 



Basswood scarcely grows in appreciable quantity east of the River Rouge. It 

 is generally distributed amongst yellow and black birch and hard maple, viz., in rich 

 soil. Many of these basswood trees measure twenty-four inches in diameter. Very 

 often two or three trunks are seen shooting from one stump, and in this case the dia- 

 meter is smaller. As regards height, it is about uniform for adult trees, which are 

 invariably tall, usually forty to fifty feet without branches. The yield of this kind 

 of timber in the central region should exceed 100,000,000 feet B.M. 



The family of poplars i? represented in the forests of this region by three varie- 

 ties, the balsam poplar, the trembling-leaved poplar and the cotton tree or cottonwood. 

 In the primitive forest and in the very old ' brules ' these trees attain a considerable 

 size and can give good saw-logs. Cottonwood, which grows only in good soil and on 

 the river flats, is always large. Were this timber floatable the forests of the central 

 region could supply millions of logs to the lumber industry and about fifty million 

 cords to the pulp and paper industry. 



Larch grows in low, swampy lands, alongside with cedar, black spruce and black 

 ash. It was a tree of great si*y and great value. It has been destroyed by the grub 

 of the larch fly and has no longer any commercial value. But, even in its present 

 condition, it can supply an abundance of good firewood. 



White and black ash increase in quantity and size as they grow farther towards 

 the western limit of the province. On the rich flats of the rivers Lievre and Gatinean 

 and their tributaries acres of white ash trees may be seen measuring fifteen to twenty 

 inches in diameter and from forty to fifty feet of trunk, without branches. This tim- 

 ber grows in all parts of the Ottawa territory, even beyond the latitude of Lake des 

 Quinze. Black ash is v also observed in all parts of that territory; the trees are as high 

 as those of the other variety, but of smaller diameter and more abundant in number. 

 This tree grows in swamps and wet lands. At least 125,000,000 feet of both varieties 

 could be cut in the central rsgion. 



White elm almost invariably accompanies ash, but grows also in many places 

 where the latter is not found. This timber, as a rule, consists of fine, big and tall 

 trees which dominate the surrounding forests. In the rich soil of the river flats, 

 white elm grows with so great a vigour as to support on the same stump several large 

 trees. Upwards of 200,000,000 feet of this timber could be cut in the central region, 

 and if the upper part of the Lievre, Gatineau, and Ottawa rivers is ever made access- 

 ible by railway, the manufacturers of furniture and flour barrels will obtain therefrom 

 a very considerable supply of raw material. 



In the oak family, the red variety prevails, and would yield the largest quantity 

 of merchantable timber. There are considerable groves of those trees in the Ottawa 

 forests. Blue or swamp oak grows in many places in the valley of the Lievre river, 

 where hardly any red oak is seen. The several varieties of oak are found in appreci- 

 able quantity throughout the Ottawa territory and could contribute perhaps ten mil- 

 lion feet to the resources of the lumber trade. 



