424 Canada. 



since 1837, when the home government gave up its 

 claim to land and revenues. 



The provincial ownership extends over about 500,000 

 square miles. The Dominion government owns an 

 area of 20,000 square miles in the railway belt of 

 British Columbia, 20 miles on each side of the railway 

 for 500 miles, which contains good timber, and some 

 722,000 square miles of land in the middle provinces 

 which contains practically only timber suitable for 

 local use. 



3. Administration of Timberlands. 



In the development of ownership conditions, the 

 realization of the valuable assets in timber growth 

 had not been overlooked by the home government, 

 care of supplies for naval construction giving, as in 

 the United States, the first incentive to a conservative 

 forest policy. 



Even under the early French rule, the grants of 

 land were made under reservation of the oak timber 

 fit for naval use, as is evidenced from a landgrant 

 made in 1683. This reservation led to considerable 

 friction as it hampered the colonists in making their 

 clearings on the best lands. Later, the reservation 

 was extended to include other timber needed for 

 military purposes, and when the British occupation 

 began, these established rights of the crown were 

 not only continued, but reservations of larger 

 areas for the timber were ordered, notably around 

 and north of Lake Champlain. In 1763, and again 

 in 1775, the home government ordered reservations 

 to be set aside in every township. 



