1921-22 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 251 



this lake, although a landing on the north-east shore showed no signs of the 

 species, either on the shore or islands. Red pine is known to occur somewhat 

 farther north, a bluff of perhaps five acres being noted at the head waters of 

 the Albany drainage, on a sandy slope between Upper and Middle Green Grass 

 Lakes. Unlike a species approaching its climatic limit, these northerly spec- 

 imens of both white and red pine retain to a very marked degree, the vigorous 

 appearance of their race and indeed appear to be much less affected by ad- 

 verse climatic conditions than the other regional species. The above circum- 

 stances and the occurrence of these trees in isolated clumps, lend color to the 

 tradition which is common among the lumbermen and early settlers of this 

 region, that their commercial range at one time extended much further north 

 — indeed, to Hudson Bay — and that the present distribution is due to a wide- 

 spread fire or series of fires occurring from fifty to one hundred and fifty years 

 ago. That fire would wholly consume every trace of such a forest over such 

 an area seems improbable. Whatever the composition of the forest may have 

 been in former times however, it would appear that the present species compos- 

 ition, if undisturbed, will, within a single generation of trees, show a tremendous 

 increase in the percentage of balsam fir. Everywhere, on all sites and under 

 dominant stands of every species, one is impressed by the prevalence and thrifty 

 growth of balsam reproduction, which often forms a complete waist or knee- 

 high canopy, almost totally weeding out rival reproduction and even under- 

 growth. 



There is in this northern forest ample evidence of the severity of the climate. 

 Mature stands of white spruce, which is the largest timber tree in the region, 

 are almost invariably filled with the trunks and debris of wind-thrown speci- 

 mens. This is believed to be due however, not so directly to the severe wind 

 storms of the region, as to the weakening of trunks due to a very widespread 

 condition of heartrot. In this connection, one may record that frost crack 

 is extremely common. While such destruction is .perhaps most easily seen 

 in the case of mature white spruce, it is also to be found in mature stands of 

 all the timber species; more particularly in the northern part of the region 

 covered. Under such conditions, stands below maturity, produce far more 

 and more valuable timber. 



It is believed, too, that the effects of climate can be seen in the behaviour 

 of the reproduction, more particularly as Lake St. Joseph is approached. Areas 

 in this region, when burned over, very frequently pass through a somewhat 

 different cycle than that obtaining for similar sites under more favorable clim- 

 atic conditions. South of Lake Nippissing, for example', such sites are within 

 three or four years, completely covered with a growth of tree seedlings typ- 

 ically poplar and birch. Here, however, although sites and chances of seeding, 

 etc., seemed at least to be equally favorable, such areas very frequently were 

 found with willow, alder, and other shrubby growths among which reproduction 

 of tree species was sparsely interspersed. 



7. Aerial Photography. — As aerial photography is a highly specialized 

 process requiring definite equipment for definite objects, it could only be used 

 experimentally during the past season. With this in view, some twenty-two 

 hundred vertical and three hundred oblique exposures were made. 



As pictures, oblique aerial exposures are, perhaps, more interesting and, 

 at first sight, more instructive than verticals, being readily comparable to 

 ground views from high buildings and land elevations. As the camera pro- 

 ducing them is a fairly simple instrument, they are also easier to obtain. Such 



