1921-22 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 15 



Forest Fires: During the past season two very bad weather periods devel- 

 oped, namely, during May and September. 



1021 fires occurred and of these 539 did not exceed five acres in size, and 

 799 did not exceed 100 acres in size. In other words we feel that the organization 

 is locating fires early and doing good work in extinguishing them quickly. 

 While exaggerated newspaper reports might indicate a very bad forest fire 

 season in Ontario, such is not the case. The total acreage burned was 346,000, 

 which is the smallest since 1918. 



When we consider a forest region of 100,000,000 acres under protection, 

 our total acreage loss will compare very favourably with that of any similar 

 area in America. 



Southern Clay Belt Fire: Reference should be made to the fire which swept 

 over a portion of the Southern Clay Belt on October 4th, 1922. 



This fire passed over an area, over 90 per cent, of which has left the Crown. 

 The area has developed into a fine farming region, and this fire could scarcely 

 be designated as a forest fire, although numerous small bush and clearing opera- 

 tions aided in carrying the fire. Throughout the region numerous clearing fires 

 were burning during late September. A terrific wind arose on October 4th, 

 after several days of very dry weather, and within a few hours hundreds of 

 fires had swept everything before them. This fire passed over areas which have 

 been cleared and partly under cultivation for over twenty years. 



The details of this fire are contained in a special report, following an investi- 

 gation by the Provincial Fire Marshal. This report was published by The 

 King's Printer in December, 1922. 



Reforestation. 



The older more settled portions of Ontario present two outstanding problems 

 in relation to reforestation. 



1. The protection and improvement of the present privately owned 

 woodlands and the reforesting of the small privately owned waste lands 

 unsuited for agriculture. 



2. The reforesting, through provincial and municipal effort, of the 

 larger waste land areas scattered throughout older Ontario. 



Many districts in older Ontario have less than five per cent, of woodland 

 left and the solution of this problem is of vital importance to agricultural Ontario. 

 Throughout Western Europe, where the demand for land to produce food crops 

 is most pressing, from 15 to 20 per cent, of forest cover is maintained. 



Provincial Forest Stations: The policy of establishing demonstration 

 forest stations in the larger waste land areas was adopted in 1908, when the 

 Norfolk Station was started. We believe that with the development of several 

 of these stations in the larger waste land areas as demonstrations and sources 

 of planting material, a great incentive will be given to both private and municipal 

 reforestation projects. 



Nurseries: The Norfolk Station has in the past produced the nursery 

 stock for distribution throughout the Province, as well as that for local use. 



At this nursery we now have the following plants one and two years old: 



