Forest Conditions. 415 



on geographical conditions which predicate the char- 

 acter of the country. Most unreasonable speculations 

 and calculations* as to amount of timber standing 

 and value have been made on impossible assump- 

 tions. 



While by the change of standards and by local 

 needs, forest areas may become commercially valuable 

 which were not so considered before, and thereby the 

 above figures may be eventually increased, from the 

 standpoint of valuable lumber supply for the world 

 trade, the above named area may be assumed to set 

 the limit for the present. 



A computation based on slender information has 

 placed the country with open woodlands in the central 

 region as exceeding 280,000 square miles. The 

 Director of Forestry estimated that 150,000 square 

 miles of this area might contain nearly 200 billion 

 feet merchantable timber. 



The southeastern territory south of the Height of 

 Land was originally all densely wooded. From it a 

 farm area of round 25 million acres has been cut out, 



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*As an instance, one statistician by mere mathematical figuring, namely, 

 deducting the known crop and pasture area from the total land area would 

 make the forest area of Quebec alone over 209 million acres. This includes 

 the country north of the Height of Land, of 163 million acres, which by 

 another mathematical calculation is made to be able to furnish over 65 billion 

 feet of lumber, besides over 600 million cords of pulpwood and 370 million rail- 

 road ties; but under present conditions, owing to topography and character of 

 the timber it cannot be utilized and its commercial value is altogether proble- 

 matic. This calculation would leave as really or po tentially available forest 

 land south of the Height of Land 46 million acres in addition to over 5 

 mlilion on farms. It is claimed that this forest area may still produce some 

 110 billion feet of coniferous and 1.5 billion feet of hardwoods, or 2500 feet to 

 the acre. 



The chief of the provincial Forest Service lately made the forest area of the 

 province 131 million acres, including 2 million acres of waste land. 



