1921-22 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 117 



from the South Maganetawan to the north branch of the same name, must be 

 made by the portage, as the rapids are too wild in high water, and after the 

 freshets have abated, it leaves the river bed practically dry in many places. 

 Coming into the North Maganetawan, we find a river in most cases several 

 chains wide, with numerous small falls and rapids, at the foot of which the 

 black bass lurk. 



Timber. 



As these two townships have long been under timber license, very little 

 of the original forests remain. * The axe of the mighty woodsman has laid these 

 giants low, leaving in their wake the fuel for the fire to complete the destruction. 

 So, today, outside of certain small areas of maple, birch and hemlock that 

 this fiery monster was not able to devour, very little remains but the charred 

 skeletons of the past. As if to hide this blackened pall, small birch, poplar, 

 balsam, banksian, and white and red pine sprang up. While this pine is still 

 small, a few more decades of protection would make it a valuable asset. Be- 

 tween Nescodaong Lake and Gordon's Lake some very good white and red 

 pine, ranging between six and twenty inches in diameter, was met with. This 

 extends some distance east of what is known locally as One Tree Lake. Areas 

 of varying dimensions of maple, birch, and hemlock decorated the country around 

 Horseshoe Lake, Pike Lake, and along the portage between North and South 

 Maganetawan Rivers. As a rule, the shores of the larger lakes are nearly 

 depleted of timber. This is, no doubt, due to the fact of its presence near these 

 waters, the natural artery of transportation. The stretches along the river 

 flats were clothed with large-sized elm and ash, intermingled with scattered 

 spruce and cedar. 



Soil. 



Agricultural land, for the most part, is wanting in this country. Along 

 the Still River, extending from Byng Inlet for about three miles upstream, was 

 the only farming settlement met with. The land along this river, in the town- 

 ship of Henvey, is a clay loam, and appears very productive. Small areas 

 along Big River were free of rock, but the country here is too sandy. There 

 are a few scattered beaver meadows producing hay, but these are limited. 

 With the exception of the river flats and numerous small swamps, the town- 

 ships of Wallbridge and Harrison are rough, hilly, rocky country, unsuitable 

 for agricultural purposes. 



Minerals. 



As the rock formation here is granite of the Huronic era, no minerals of 

 any consequence have been found. Some very good dykes of feldspar lays 

 along the Nescodaong River in the township of Harrison. 



Fish and Game. 



Although numerous tourists visit this section of the country, the many 

 lakes and rivers still abound with black bass, pickerel and pike. Red deer 

 grazed in the meadows and several bears were seen, and the wolf made his pres- 

 ence known by his nightly howls. 



