218 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



remaining sectors have relatively more cleared land, an older logging history, 

 a consequent longer fire record and therefore, a much smaller proportion of 

 this desirable composition. 



Of the forested area, 2,319,334 acres, or 40.6 per cent., represents combina- 

 tions of poplar and birch, with and without conifers. Of this, 44.8 per cent, 

 contains a noticeable pine admixture. In the unsettled timbered areas of 

 Algonquin Park and Parry vSound, this type represents but one-fifth of the 

 forested land, whereas in the remaining settled sections, it represents one-third. 



3.7 per cent., or 206,935 acres, were classified as coniferous forests. Almost 

 one-half of this is, again, located in Algonquin Park. 



Hardwoods cover 19.1 per cent., or 1,097,419 acres, of the forest. This 

 type usually represents a culled virgin, mixed stand, the conifers having been 

 largely removed. This condition is particularly noticeable in the Muskoka 

 region, representing here, one-half the forest. In Algonquin Park, Parry 

 Sound and Madawaska, one-fifth, and in the Ottawa, Georgian Bay sectors, 

 one-twentieth of the forest is so classified. 



Conditions. — The following outstanding features in the various forest 

 conditions may be of interest. Only 26.4 per cent, of the present total forest 

 area is virgin or moderately culled, that is, one-quarter of the forested area 

 contains commercial timber, represented by 51.5 per cent, mixed, 45.1 per 

 cent, hardwood, and only 3.4 per cent, coniferous composition. Algonquin 

 Park contains three-fifths, Parry Sound one-fifth, of the mixed, while, of the 

 hardwoods, Algonquin Park contains one-half and Madawaska one-quarter. 



Areas classed as severely culled form 10.6 per cent, of the forest, and in- 

 clude a diversity of conditions, mainly due to the almost inevitable fire follow- 

 ing the logger. This may be represented by alternate patches of young growth 

 and small stands of timber, or by second growth stands with scattered mature 

 trees of indififerent character. This type of forest presents a particularly vicious 

 fire hazard to commercial stands, owing to the accumulated slash following 

 recent logging operations. This condition is particularly true of the Parry 

 Sound district, where one-fifth of the forest was so classified. 



Second growth in the mixed-hardwood -coniferous forests covers 18.7 per 

 cent, of the forest area, or 1,066,556 acres. Four-fifths of this is mixed composi- 

 tion — a satisfactory condition of reproduction— 36.2 per cent, of which is found 

 in Algonquin Park. 



Young growth in the mixed-hardwood-coniferous forest is represented by 

 210,296 acres, or 3.7 per cent, of the forested area. Of this, 64.8 per cent, is 

 mixed composition, over three-fifths of which is found in the Georgian Bay 

 sector. 



Second growth poplar-birch stands occupy 529,555 acres, or 9.3 per cent, 

 of the forested area. 73.0 per cent, of this contains a coniferous admixture — 

 mainly white pine — of which Algonquin Park comprises 41.6, Ottawa Valley 

 28.9, and Madawaska 21.7 per cent., while Georgian Bay, Parry Sound, and 

 Madawaska districts, together, only represent 1.9 per cent, of this type. There 

 remain 143,317 acres where conifers are not noticeably present. With this 

 type of forest, there is usually present an understudy of balsam or hemlock, 

 and in the more open stands, pine. The future of such forests is, therefore, 

 relatively satisfactory, always providing fire is kept out. 



Young growth of poplar-birch type occupies 1,789,779 acres, or 31.3 per 

 cent, (almost one-third), of the total forest. Of this, 36.9 per cent, has con- 

 iferous admixture of which Madawaska contains 64.3 per cent. One-fifth of 



