FORESTRY COMMISSIONER. 41 



Swamp, Poplar Woods, but over all the Jack Pine type predomi- 

 nates as a forest of the whole. Practically all the tract is under 

 forest of some age and species, although small areas of open 

 swamp occur here and there. The area is given at about 20,000 

 acres, but accurate surveys of the numerous lakes found in the 

 interior of sections and not indicated on the official plats, and 

 corrections of the many errors made by Government surveyors 

 may vary this quantity somewhat. About 87 per cent of the 

 whole area may be designated as pine land, that is, land which, 

 in its present condition is capable of raising white and red pine ; 

 and 13 per cent as swamp land. 



White and red pine occur in small groves along the shores of 

 lakes, on ridges and in ravines, or as single trees throughout the 

 forest. Most of this pine is mature and represents an age of 200 

 years or over. Of the merchantable white pine there is about 

 450,000 feet board measure, and of red pine about 825,000 feet. 



These trees cannot be said to form a distinct forest anywhere 

 on the Burntside tracts, as the groves are of too small extent but 

 on adjoining lands forests of both species occur. Usually the red 

 pine is more inclined to a pure stand than the white pine, but they 

 occur with each other and in mixture with other species the 

 white pine more often reaching its best development in mixture 

 with hardwoods, spruce, fir and other pines. The reproduction 

 of white and red pines is poor over most of the Forest and is 

 excellent in only a few localities. On 385 sample acres examined 

 particularly for reproduction in favorable places an average of 4 

 white pine trees up to 4 inches in diameter were found per acre, 

 and of red pine 22/100 trees per acre. This average stand of 

 less than 5 pines per acre is not sufficient and to secure a well 

 stocked forest of pine it will be necessary to replant the larger 

 portion of the whole area. The large standing white and red 

 pines would reseed a considerable acreage during a good seed 

 year if fires were kept out, but where these trees now are there 

 is often no signs of young growth, the seedlings no doubt having 

 been destroyed by fire, and the ground is now so thickly covered 

 with young jack pine, poplars, alders and other brush that the 

 more valuable pines do not get opportunity to start. 



In a few secluded ravines and in isolated patches where sur- 

 rounding lakes afforded protection, or where providential rains 

 and dying winds prevented fires from reaching, remnants of a 



