1921-22 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 227 



which may be designated as the Coastal Plain region to the north and the North- 

 ern Clay Belt region to the south. The former comprises 5.8 million acres 

 and the latter 2.8 million acres. 



The Coastal Plain is poorly timbered from a commercial viewpoint. The 

 bulk of the timber standing on the area is inland and inaccessible, the largest 

 area being west of Kesagami Lake, with blocks scattered in that portion of the 

 region south and east of this lake. The commercial stands to-day are restricted 

 to a narrow belt up to one-half mile in width along the rivers and streams. 

 Practically 70 per cent, of the coastal plain area is given over to endless scrubby 

 stands of dwarf black spruce and various classes of muskeg. 



In the northern clay belt region, however, pulpwood conditions are much 

 better. Not only are drainage conditions more favourable to true development, 

 but the region exhibits more relief inland from the rivers. In consequence, the 

 pulpwood supplies are not confined to the rivers but additional stands, both pure 

 and mixed, occur on the low ridges and knolls scattered throughout the extent 

 of non-commercial scrubby spruce. 



The difference in character of the coastal plain and northern clay belt regions 

 is summed up in the fact, that the timber bearing areas in the former aggregate 

 only 6.8 per cent, of its acreage, while in the case of the northern clay belt they 

 constitute 38.8 per cent. 



3. Forest Types. 



The forest growth of the territory under consideration resolves itself into 

 a very few strongly marked types with a limited number of species. The rivers 

 everywhere are lined with a narrow belt of mixed evergreen and broad-leaved 

 trees. Beyond this belt and parallelling it, runs one of practically pure black 

 spruce. As one gets farther from the river, the spruce rapidly and progressively 

 falls off in diameter and height, the number of trees per acre increasing, with a 

 tendency towards growth in clumps. Finally, at a distance in general of a few 

 hundred yards up to one-half mile in the coastal plain, trees of commercial size 

 are left behind, and a scrub type is entered. Here the trees are extremely dwarfed 

 although very old, and eventually give way to open muskeg. In the northern 

 clay belt, however, the black spruce, is continued inland indefinitely, depending 

 on drainage, assuming a patchy character among mixed stands and scrub. 



Inland, these same types are repeated around all lakes, and wherever there 

 is any variation in the relief. 



(a) Mixed Type. — ^This type along the rivers consists of black and white 

 spruce, balsam, cedar, both balsam and aspen poplar and paper birch. It 

 varies but little in composition throughout the total length of these long water- 

 ways, there being a slight increase in the quantity of birch, balsam and cedar, 

 and a general improvement in the stands as one comes south; this was parti- 

 cularly noted in the poplar, although nowhere is it found free from heart rot, 

 after reaching seven and eight inches D.B.H. 



This type is also to be found inland from the rivers in small areas, in associa- 

 tion with black spruce stands, generally on gentle rises in the ground and adjacent 

 to lakes. The occurrence of these mixed stands (and as well, stands of pure 

 spruce) inland, and additional to the river timber, is a feature characteristic of 

 the northern clay belt region; whereas they are of relatively infrequent occur- 

 rence in the coastal plain. This inland mixed type differs from the river type 

 in the absence of cedar and balsam poplar, and the poorer development especially 

 of white spruce; it accordingly gives a lower yield of pulpwood. 



