270 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



but the cutting is restricted to twelve inches on the stump in the case of 

 green timber. This practice has been in vogue since nineteen hundred and 

 two. Most of the operators in Canada own their own timber lands under a 

 lease, but are not restricted in cutting, except what has been sold since 1902, 

 as described above. Dr. Diver, of your Committee, believes this restrictive 

 policy to be wrong, as timber land which is burned has all of the trees burned, 

 as a rule, so this twelve inch restriction does practically no good. He also 

 reports that in Northern Canada the cut-over lands are being retimbered 

 by a young growth of pine which has sprung up of itself. This would go to 

 show that natural reforestation brings good results; it is undoubtedly 

 cheaper. 



FOREST FIRE PROTECTION 



The greatest enemy of the forest is fire. If we can overcome fire hazard, 

 we can let the forest do its own planting with good results. This statement 

 is only general, for there are places devoid of seed trees where planting must 

 be done. We are all familiar with the causes of forest fires, and the pre- 

 ventive measures such as roads, fire lines, telephones, look-out stations, reg- 

 ulations as to campers, fire patrol, etc. but, unfortunately, because of the 

 inevitable slash which must follow a cutting, the lumbermen have been held 

 responsible for some fires, even though these precautions are taken. 



If we can eliminate the slash, we get rid of one of our greatest menaces. 

 Can this be done at a profit, or without incurring loss? Obviously this is 

 impossible with all the finer twigs and limbs; but in the case of the larger 

 limbs and branches, butts, etc., it seems this could be done even profitably. 

 Fire wood, chemical wood, pulp wood, and various other uses should consume 

 a lot of the dangerous slash, and what remains would be the material that 

 would rot quickly, so that if fire could be kept out for a few years the danger 

 would be greatly reduced. This is one of our big problems today, and it 

 must be met. Forest products must be had by all, and in order to insure this 

 in the future much of the land must be productive of other timber crops. 

 Planting from the seed or seedling is slow and costly, and on land which 

 has been burned over the soil is often burned also, so that there is very little 

 chance for any new growth. This all leads back to our first proposition that 

 fire must be kept out and then natural reforestation can be looked for, and 

 the saplings and young trees which today are regarded as of little value will 

 have an opportunity to mature. 



Why plant seeds when we already have trees half or two-thirds grown 

 which, if protected, will mature and be of use in much less time than will 

 seedlings and thus do away, to a large degree, with the risk of young trees 

 dying, for their mortality is great as compared with older trees. We, there- 

 fore, would recommend that every precaution be used to keep fire out of cut- 

 over timber lands, and also out of slashings, for these slashings and cut-over 

 lands must bear timber again; and we urge the utilization of the woods and 

 debris usually left in slashings. 



