THE CANADIAN DEPARTMENT 



BY ELWOOD WILSON. 



[With this issue AMERICAN FORESTRY inaugurates a Canadian forestry news 

 department for the particular benefit of its many Canadian subscribers. The 

 matter will be furnished by Mr. Elwood Wilson, one of the best known Canadian 

 foresters, and will consist of news and comment on forest and timber conditions 

 and forestry and lumbering work. EDITOR.] 



THE forestry situation in Canada 

 is a very promising one and is 

 gaining strength slowly but 

 surely, quietly but effectively. 

 From the standpoint of Government the 

 situation is a most excellent one, as 

 practically all the forest land in Canada 

 is owned by either the Dominion or 

 Provincial Governments and is not 

 being sold but only leased, the leases 

 being subject to frequent renewals and 

 the rentals to readjustment. The reg- 

 ulations under which these lands are 

 administered are on the whole wise 

 ones, and politics, while not yet wholly 

 eliminated, still do not play a very seri- 

 ous part. 



The fire situation has been very bad 

 up to a few years ago, but with the 

 advent of Cooperative Protective As- 

 sociations this has been much improved. 

 The Quebec and Dominion Govern- 

 ments have given their earnest support 

 to these associations and are urging 

 their formation all over Canada. 

 British Columbia has also instituted an 

 efficient fire-fighting system. Ontario 

 and New Brunswick are still worrying 

 along in the good old way. Under the 

 Dominion Railway Commission the 

 railroads have been compelled to clean 

 up and patrol their rights-of-way, and 

 the burden of proof in case of fire has 

 been placed on them. In the Rocky 

 Mountain section they are required to 

 use oil-burning engines. The Govern- 

 ment has not yet applied its regulations 

 to the Government-owned roads, but it 

 is hoped that this anomaly will soon be 

 done awav with. 



The Dominion Forest Service is well 

 organized and is doing good work in 



establishing reserves, making recon- 

 naisance surveys and helping the prairie 

 Provinces to plant trees. It is still 

 troubled with the patronage system in 

 the outside service. 



The Province of British Columbia 

 has the best organized and most efficient 

 Forest Service of all the Provinces and 

 is doing excellent work along the line. 



Ontario has no forest service worthy 

 of the name. Although a trained for- 

 ester has been appointed, his hands are 

 tied and he is hardly allowed to even 

 suggest anything. 



Quebec has a Forest Service with 

 two Yale graduates at its head, and 

 they are slowly paving the way for bet- 

 ter administration of the Government's 

 timber holdings. Some reconnaisance 

 work has been done, a Forestry School 

 and a tree nursery established and some 

 planting on sand dunes commenced. A 

 classification of lands has also been 

 begun, and it is hoped that future sales 

 of settlers' lands will be made on the 

 basis of their fitness for agriculture. 

 The Minister of Crown Lands has taken 

 the keenest interest in proper fire pro- 

 tection and has aided the Cooperative 

 Association in every possible way. 



New Brunswick and the Maritime 

 Provinces have as yet no Forest Service. 



The Forestry Department of the Uni- 

 versity of Toronto has done most ex- 

 cellent work and has a strong faculty 

 headed by Dr. Fernow. The graduates 

 have mostly gone to fill the services of 

 the Dominion and British Columbia 

 Governments and have done good work. 



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