xii. REPORT OF THE No. 3 



licensees do not show any serious loss on licensed lands, and where the 

 damage has occurred, they too, having prompt reports from the fire rangers, 

 were able to arrange to cut the damaged timber before it went to waste. 



On licensed territory we had last year 376 men, at a cost of |46,621.45; 

 on railways, 147 men, at a cost of |53,236.71 ; on lands of the Crown, 58 

 rangers, at a cost of $17,398.52. Then, the licensees paid an equal amount 

 to ours for rangers on licensed lands, viz. ; $46,621.45. On Forest Reserves 

 we had 111 men, costing $45,805.18, so that there were on duty as fire 

 rangers in the forest during the summer months, 692 men, at a cost of 

 $209,682.29. 



Parks and Reserves. 



In recent years the desire of the Department has been to separate areas 

 valuable for their pine timber into forest reserves and close them against set- 

 tlement, etc. We have also created one or two parks, partly for this, and 

 partly for other reasons. 



The first park established in the Province was the Algonquin Park. At 

 the time it was established, the territory covered by it was all under timber 

 license, part of it for the cutting of all kinds of timber and part of it for the 

 cutting of pine timber only. A careful inspection was made of this territory, 

 and finding it was unsuitable for agricultural purposes, contained a network 

 of rivers and lakes, covered the head waters of seven or eight important 

 streams, it was felt that it would be a public benefit to withdraw it from 

 settlement, put a staff of rangers in it in order to protect it from trespass 

 and fire, as well as to preserve the game, and as far as possible keep it in a 

 state of nature. This park is to-day one of the most beautiful parks to be 

 found anywhere, containing miles of beautiful lakes and rivers, on which 

 the lover of the forest may roam through what has been well called a "Lacus- 

 trine Paradise." The game has been preserved, indeed the forest is alive 

 with game, moose being plentiful, and that most interesting of all Canadian 

 wild animals, the beaver, is to be found surrounded by his family, as 

 industrious in hydraulics as he ever was. If the people of this Province 

 generally knew what a marvellously lovely spot this park is, and so easy of 

 access, they would certainly take advantage of the opportunity of spending 

 their summer holidays in this quiet locality, surrounded by a typical Can- 

 adian forest. In this park we have a chief ranger with a staff of rangers 

 under him to prevent fire and trespass, enforce the game and fishery laws 

 and cut out portage roads from one lake to the other. These rangers are 

 always courteous and obliging to visitors and endeavor to give them all infor- 

 mation, which shall enable them to visit different parts of the park. The 

 area of this park is 1,216,000 acres. 



Rondeau Park : This is a small park containing about 5,000 acres. It 

 is situated in one of the garden counties of Ontario, the County of Kent, 

 on the shores of Lake Erie. Here is to be found specimens of all the ancient 

 forest trees of Ontario, which it is almost impossible to find in any other 

 locality. It is a favourable resort for picnic parties from the surrounding 

 neighborhood, and is an ideal spot for such outings. There is a Superin- 

 tendent in charge, and small lots are leased at a moderate rental by the 

 Department for cottage sites. 



The Temagami Forest Reserve, the most important in the Province, con- 

 tains a large quantity of pine timber, which has been estimated at from three 

 to four billions of feet. The pine timber is of good quality, and easily lum- 

 bered, part of it can be driven down to Ottawa City, and also to the Georgian 

 Bay of Lake Huron. It is being blocked out by surveys, and the quantity 



