

DEPARTURE in regard to technical matters was made 

 in the head office of the dominion forestry branch at 

 Ottawa, when, on March 26, Mr. H. Claughton Wallin, 

 chief of surveys, read a paper on "Reconnaissance" before the 

 technical staff of the branch. 



Objects of Reconnaissance Surveys. 



Mr. Wallin pointed out in the first place that the objects of 

 reconnaissance surveys are to procure information as to the 

 value of the lands examined in relation to agriculture and as 

 sources of water or timber supply, and to determine the ad- 

 visability of recommending them for inclusion in forest re- 

 serves. 



Dangers of Ill-directed Settlement. 



Mr. Wallin showed that now the prairie lands were becom- 

 ing settled, settlers were pushing out into the wooded coun- 

 try. The first settlement generally occupied fertile lands but 

 as the river bottoms and lands surrounding lakes were taken 

 up the settlers stuck out into the country surrounding, and in 

 many cases located on lands, which because of their rocky, 

 hilly, or sandy nature were not capable of supporting their 

 owners decently. Many new settlers were not farmers but 

 city men who did not understand soil values. Hence there 

 was the greater reason for the examination of lands in ad- 

 vance of settlement to prevent these uninformed people locat- 

 ing on land which they would either abandon in a few years 

 to return to city life, or continue to eke out an existence by 

 working for several months each year for their neighbors in 

 the fertile districts. Thus the man would not be of his full 

 value to the country, and the 160 acres of land he had home- 

 steaded instead of increasing in value would be deteriorating 

 because the young timber which it could grow if left alone 

 would be taken off in useless clearing or burned by fires 

 started accidentally or intentionally. 



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