1911-12 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 93 



road, and east along the right of way of the National Transcontinental Railway, to 

 open up a fine agricultural section contiguous to the town of Hearst. 



The continuous rainy weather of last season, beginning about the middle of 

 July, made it difficult to complete the grading of many roads and it was almost im- 

 possible to burn off the timber and debris. The roads, however, were all well cut 

 out the full width and the central portion grubbed 26 feet in width ready for 

 grading. The timber and brush was well piled so that no difficulty will be met 

 with next season in burning it off as soon as the weather is at all favorable. 



Herein is a description of the different roads cut out and graded ; the amounts 

 expended thereon, and also a general description of the character of the country 

 through which these roads were laid out. 



The total number of miles cut out or improved during the season of 1913 is 

 233; of which 210 is entirely new road; and the balance 23 miles, roads which have 

 previously been cut out or partly cut out, and were improved by grading, widening, 

 ditching, or by the construction of crosslay thereon. 39 miles of the new road, and 

 11 miles of the old road has been graded, or 50 miles in all. 



The work was carried on strictly in accordance with the instructions and per- 

 formed as economically and expeditiously as possible, both in the employment of 

 men and in the purchase of supplies, road machiner}^ etc. In the progress of the 

 work I was assisted in every way possible by the officials of the Temiskaming and 

 Northern Ontario Railway Commission; and along the line of the National Trans- 

 continental Railway by the contractors, in the forwarding of supplies and men from 

 point to point. 



With reference to the country through which these roads have been con- 

 structed, I am glad to be able to report that at least 75 per cent, was found to be 

 of a first class character, suitable for agricultural purposes; the soil chiefly clay 

 and in some instances clay loam. Only a few rock exposures were met with and 

 those of comparatively small area; and in only a few instances was sand or gravel 

 met with, the largest area being crossed by the road running west from Iroquois 

 Falls, which is an extension of the sand plain in the vicinity of Nellie Lake on the 

 Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway. One of the greatest difficulties met 

 with in the construction of these roads, more particularly along the National Trans- 

 continental Railway, was the lack of gravel, sand, or stone for road material. 



In some of the townships in which work was carried on there is very little 

 waste land; occasionally a muskeg is met with but a great deal of- land which 

 appears at first sight to be muskeg is, after being burned o^^er, capable of culti- 

 vation; and will, in my opinion, make first class meadow land. The land has 

 nearly all good drainage in a northerly direction towards the small tributaries 

 flowing north to the larger rivers, and with a reasonable amount of expenditure in 

 drainage the proportion of cultivatable land herein mentioned can be very much 

 increased. 



On the higher land the timber is of fair size, reaching a diameter of from 

 12 to 20 inches. On the level land and muskegs the average diameter is from 4 

 to 9 inches, but is of very dense growth. The timber is chiefly spruce, balsam, 

 Balm-of-Gilead and white birch; spruce predominating. 



When travelling over the different roads I took particular notice of the 

 quantity of timber cut, and while the timber large enough for lumber is not nearly 



