Notes. 41 



improving forestry conditions in Ontario. Since it is an agricul- 

 tural institution, the attention of the committee in charge has 

 been confined almost entirely to farm wood-lots. From the first 

 the Committee has urged that in order to increase the productive- 

 ness and efficiency of this much neglected and abused part of the 

 Ontario farm, the Government should co-operate with the. farm- 

 ers of the province by giving instruction through bulletins and 

 lectures on the subject of farm forestry, and by assisting those 

 who require to plant by furnishing seeds or seedlings free, or at a 

 cost price. The efforts of the Union have been successful in so 

 far that a nursery has been established in connection with the 

 Agricultural College, from which 100,000 seedlings will be distri- 

 buted next spring. It is the intention before supplying plant 

 material to applicants that a forestry expert shall inspect the pro- 

 posed planting site, and advise the planter as to the preparation 

 of the soil, species to plant, method of planting, etc., and only 

 those applicants who agree to carry out the directions of the ex- 

 pert will receive trees. 



Before a large meeting, on December 6th, Dr. Clark, Forester 

 for the Crown Lands Department, Toronto, gave a most practical 

 address, "Farm Forestry for Ontario." He first pointed out 

 briefly that it is worth while to develop the wood-lot, for besides 

 its local value as a shelter for the home and crops, the increased 

 use of wood, diminished supply and advanced price make it a 

 most valuable asset, especially in older Ontario. 



He then took up more fully a discussion of some of the most 

 common defects of farm wood-lots under the following heads: — 



I. Affecting the character of the stand: 



1. Farmers' selective cuttings. 



2. Overcutting. 



3. Grazing. 



II. Affecting vigor of growth: 



1. Lack of good soil cover. 



2. Access of wind to soil. 



By "farmers' selective cutting," Dr Clark meant the prac- 

 tice followed by so many of cutting out all the good trees and 

 leaving only the cripples and weeds. Over-cutting is still more 

 injurious than the farmers' selective cutting in that it causes 

 the deterioration of the soil condition, and the trees do not de- 

 velop desirable forms. Grazing, he said, is probably the most 

 injurious agency in the wood-lot, making reproduction almost 

 impossible, and injuring standing trees. Of the various domestic 

 animals goats are the most injurious, sheep next, cattle next, 

 and horses least injurious. 



Lack of soil cover causes the drying out of the soil, and al- 

 lows it to become hard, thereby preventing the percolation of 



