112 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



AT the Imperial Forestry Conference, 

 held during the past summer at Lon- 

 don, England, stress was laid upon the 

 uigent necessity for a comprehensive 

 scheme of forest research, to serve as a 

 basis for the intelligent handling of the 

 forest with a view to its perpetuation by 

 wise use It is recognized by those familiar 

 with conditions, that lack of intelligent 

 direction in the method of forest exploita- 

 tion results usually in the deterioration of 

 the quality and quantity of the succeeding 

 forest, if, indeed, the forest is not entirely 

 destroyed and the land rendered wholly un- 

 productive. 



The effects of repeated forest fires in 

 bringing about forest devastation are now 

 quite generally recognized, and object les- 

 sons may be seen in all parts of the coun- 

 try. The serious effect upon the compo- 

 sition of the forest brought about by the 

 lack of intelligent regulation of the methods 

 of carrying on cutting operations, are, 

 however, less recognized. For example, 

 white pine, formerly the premier timber 

 tree of Canada, has largely disappeared 

 from great areas where it was formerly 

 plentiful and where it formed the founda- 

 tion for the early prosperity of the timber 

 industry of Eastern Canada. The methods 

 of cutting were such as to favor the in- 

 creasing preponderance of the less valua- 

 ble species. (Conservation.) 



TVTOT many years ago ' spruce was con- 

 sidered the only wood that could be 

 used in the manufacture of newsprint, says 

 R. D. Craig, in "Conservation." Gradually, 

 and with much opposition, balsam was ad- 

 mitted in mixture with spruce, until now it 

 is accepted in practically unlimited quanti- 

 ties. 



We now find the despised jack pine sug- 

 gested as a substitute for spruce, and the 

 research departments of several of the pro- 

 gressive pulp and paper organizations of 

 Canada have established the fact that it is 

 quite feasible to use jack pine in either the 

 sulphite or groundwood processes of pulp 

 i.ianufacture. 



The fibres of jack pine are longer than 

 the fibres of spruce, and the amount of fats, 

 resins and waxes, hitherto assumed to be 

 prejudicial, is not sufficient to preclude its 

 use as sulphite pulp. It appears to require. 



however, a stronger acid and a longer cook- 

 ing than other species, and must, therefore, 

 be manufactured separately. In the me- 

 chanical or groundwood process, it is 

 claimed that it will make just as good, if 

 not better, pulp than any on the market. 



The use of jack pine for this purpose will 

 materially prolong the productive life of 

 the pulp and paper industry in Canada. 

 Though there is as yet very little reliable 

 information on which to base an estimate 

 of the amount of jack pine in Eastern Can- 

 ada, it is thought that it would probably 

 furnish not less than 60,000,000 cords of 

 pulpwood. In the Prairie Provinces, there 

 is perhaps twice the amount, and, in Brit- 

 ish Columbia, there is over 20,000,000 cords 

 of lodgepole pine, which is closely related 

 to the jack pine of the east. In addition, 

 there are large areas covered with young 

 jack pine and lodgepole pine, which will 

 reach mercantable size in a comparatively 

 short time. Much of this wood, no doubt, 

 will be used for ties and lumber, but there 

 will still remain a very considerable amount 

 for pulp. The utilization of the jack pine 

 as pulpwood will facilitate the exploitation 

 of the spruce and other species in places 

 where there is not sufficient of the latter 

 alone to warrant logging operations, and 

 it should greatly reduce the waste at pres- 

 ent incident to the production of hewn ties 



Jack pine possesses many qualities which 

 recommend it as a continuous forest crop. 

 It is extremely hardy and will grow on the 

 poorest soils, if not too wet, and it is usu- 

 ally sound. It reproduces more prolifi- 

 cally than any other conifer in Eastern 

 Canada, as is evidenced by the way it has 

 replaced the original stands of white pine 

 or spruce in many places, following cutting 

 or fire. It grows rapidly and under natural 

 conditions will attain pulpwood size in a 

 shorter time than spruce or balsam. 



Many other kinds of wood, including 

 poplar, birch and hemlock, can be used in 

 the pulp and paper industry, and it is hoped 

 that further research will result in their 

 more general utilization for this purpose. 



maple. The two first will be floated and 

 the two latter will be transported to the 

 mill on barges. 



HPHE Laurentide Pulp and Paper Com- 

 pany is cutting a thousand cords of 

 hardwood to be used in the manufacture of 

 ground woodpulp. The species being cut 

 are poplar, white birch, yellow birch and 



'THE appreciation of the Quebec Govern- 

 ment of the necessity for the practice 

 of forestry on its non-agricultural lands, 

 and of the need for thoroughly trained 

 foresters to make its program effective, 

 has recently been further evidenced. Four 

 of the employes of the Provincial Forest 

 Service graduates of the Forest School 

 at Laval University have recently been 

 sent to Europe by the Provincial Govern- 

 ment, to spend a period of six months in 

 making advanced studies of forestry prac- 

 tice and forest utilization in France, Bel- 

 gium, Switzerland and Germany. One of 

 the men will extend his studies to cover a 

 period in Sweden. Among the lines of 

 investigation to which particular attention 

 will be paid by these men will be methods 

 of lumbering, sawmilling, silvicultural 

 practice, reforestation, aerial photography, 

 fc rest research, wood technology, and wood 

 utilization, including the development of 

 markets for hardwood species through 

 small wood using industries. 



While forestry conditions in Europe are 

 widely different from those in Canada, the 

 general principles of the science of fores- 

 try are the same the world over, though it 

 is of course necessary to adapt the prac- 

 tice to local conditions in every case. In 

 Europe, the practice of intensive methods 

 of forestry the systematic growing of wood 

 crops has been a matter of development 

 through centuries, and foresters from other 

 countries can learn much of direct value 

 to them in a study of methods and condi- 

 tions there. A period of study in the forests 

 of Continental Europe is, for example, a 

 regular part of the curriculum of English 

 and Scottish forest schools which prepare 

 men for the practice of forestry in the 



United Kingdom. 



'THE planting of 5,000,000 trees a year is 

 the plan of the Laurentide Paper and 

 Pulp Company of Canada. The Canadians 

 are facing a replanting problem on the 

 lands of the company in Quebec, where 

 pulpwood is being cut. Similar plans of 

 reforestation by other paper manufactur- 

 ers would do much to relieve the probable 

 paper shortage of the future. 



SERVICE TO MEMBERS 

 Members of the American Forestry Association are entitled to a ten per cent discount on the publishers' price of all 

 books and magazines if order is placed direct with the American Forestry Association. 



Only Members of the Association are Entitled to this Privilege 

 This service saves you money, worry and trouble. Take publishers' price on two or more magazines, add them 

 tnsrether, deduct ten per cent and enable yourself to subscribe to all the magazines and books you read at ONE time in 

 ONE envelope with ONE remittance and at the LOWEST PRICES. 



This Book Department is maintained for the convenience and benefit of our members. 



BOOK SERVICE DEPARTMENT, American Forestry Association, Washington, D. C. 



