1920-21 DEPARTMENT OF LAXDS AND FORESTS. 117 



tlie public generally muck more alive to the importance of care in this matter 

 than they were years ago. I consider the posters, put up each year by the fire 

 rangers, have had a good deal to do with this. 



FlEES. 



We had some rather bad fires along the Canadian Northern Railway, but 

 they did not do a great deal of damage in the Park. On the south side we have 

 been very fortunate, as the fires that started along the railway were caught in 

 time and no damage done. The fire tank has been stationed here all summer 

 with two men in charge, constantly in readiness to go out on the first train to 

 any fire started along the railway. This, with the telephone service, has very 

 much minimized the damage along tlie railway from fires started' by locomotives, 

 which were our greatest menace. 



Game. 



Game of all kinds is increasing all over the Park, especially the beaver, the 

 annual increase of which must run up into thousands. Otter, mink, martin and 

 fisher are also abundant, while the deer are greatly in evidence everywhere. Wolves 

 are still numerous in the Park and take a large toll of deer. The rangers are 

 doing their utmost to destroy them, and a number are killed every year. The 

 past winter was an unusually good one for the deer and partridge, and I never 

 saw them come through in better condition. 



Live Beaver. 



Regarding the taking of live ])eaver for shipment from the Park, last year 

 an order was taken for something over one hundred for points in the United 

 States. Of these fifty were shipped, but owing to the embargo placed upon ship- 

 ments by the United States we discontinued taking them. We were at a consider- 

 able loss after having made preparations to take the full number which we would 

 have had shipped in time if the express people had taken them: as it was, we had 

 to keep the fifty over for some time, and it took the time of a man to attend 

 to them and carry food from the l)usb to feed them. The price obtained was less 

 than the skins were worth, while the work of taking them alive is ten times 

 greater than taking the pelts, when you have to hold them over any time. 



T would therefore recommend that the price of live beaver, if vou should decide 

 to take them, be put at $1-10.00 a pair. The dealers we have at times supplied in 

 the States charge $100.00 per animal, and we liave been supplvinir them at $30.00 

 each. It was through no fault of ours that all orders were not filled hist year 



T would respectfullv recommend that all live animals sold from Algonquin 

 Provincial Park, if possible, be disposed of in Canada. There is so much red 

 tape in connection with shipments to the United States, that in getting back our 

 empty crates it is hardly worth the bother it gives. For instance, I have only 

 just got last summer's empty crates released by customs here, after at least a 

 dozen letters and payinsr entry fees. T have no doubt, now that the war is over, 

 many people in Canada will turn their attention to breeding fur-bearincc animals, 

 and a market could be found for all the Government wish to take out. The price, 

 however, should be at least four times the value of the pelts, as thev represent 

 at least that much additional cost. A large quantitv of fur has been taken out and 

 sold in Toronto, l)ringing the nice sum of $14,179.00. 



