1908 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS" AND MINES xiii. 



of timber on these blocks is being estimated from year to year for tke purpose 

 of ascertaining with closeness the actual quantity of timber there is in the 

 reserve. There is a chief ranger in charge of this reserve, who had under 

 him last year a staff of seventy rangers, at a cost of |30,000. There were 

 no serious fires in the reserve although in the vicinity of Gowganda Lake, 

 there was a fire that did some damage. The quantity of timber was estimated 

 and offered for sale and was sold for $18 a thousand bonus, in addition to 

 the Crown dues of |2. This reserve has been carefully protected, but it is 

 the subject of a good deal of anxiety just now. The pine timber is growing 

 on the surface, and beneath it there are silver mines. Thousands of pro- 

 spectors have gone in there, which will render a large increase in the ranging 

 staff necessary. The area of this reserve is 3,563,600 acres. 



The Nepigon Reserve has an area of 4,670, 080 acres. There is a con- 

 siderable body of pine in this reserve, but it was to protect the spruce and 

 pulpwood growing on this area and to preserve the game and fish that it was 

 primarily set apart. Here there is a" chief ranger with a staff under him. 

 Owing to the construction of the Transcontinental Railway, there is a con- 

 tinual stream of travel through this reserve, as the line of construction runs 

 through the north end of it. There have been some fires during the year, 

 but none have done any serious damage. Twenty-two rangers were on duty 

 there last year at a cost of about |9,000. 



Thunder Cape Reserve is a small reserve, eighty miles in extent, which 

 was set apart to protect the timber on the promontory called Thunder Cape. 

 The Crown Timber Agent at Port Arthur is in charge of this reserve. 



The Mississaga Reserve is situated on the tributary to the Mississaga 

 River, which flows into the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. This reserve 

 contains 1,920,000 acres. The quantity of pine timber on this reserve is 

 estimated at from three to four billions of feet. There is no .settlement or 

 mining in this vicinity, and therefore it is reasonably safe from fire. The 

 Department is also blocking this reserve out by survey and estimating the 

 blocks so as to get an accurate idea of the quantity of pine timber in it. We 

 had a supervising ranger and staff of twenty-two rangers under him on duty 

 in this reserve last year at a cost of about .|7,600. 



There is a large block of timber lying on the Quetico River, in the Rainy 

 River District, which it is under contemplation to create into a forest reserve. 

 The estimated quantity of timber on this area is about one and a half 

 billions of feet. 



Cullers' Examinations. 



Cullers' examinations were held at North Bay, Kenora, Arnprior and 

 Sprague. 47 candidates were successful at these examinations and were 

 granted certificates authorizing them to act as Cullers. (Tor list of Cullers 

 see Appendix No. 45, page 119.) 



Crown Surveys. 



The following Crown surveys have been undertaken this year : — 

 Instructions for subdivision of thirteen townships were issued. The 

 names of these townships and the respective districts in which they are 

 situate are as follows : — 



District of Nipissing : — Part of Maisonville and Benoit, townships of 

 Skead, Bonis, Berry, Steele. District of Sudbury: — Townships of Haggart 

 and Kingsmill. District of Algoma : — ^townships of Fleck and Sankey. Dis- 

 trict of Thunder Bay: — township of Fraleigh. District of Rainy River: — 

 townships of Morson and TJmbach. 



