42 Canadian Forestry Journal. 



water into the soil and making it very difficult for reproduction to 

 take place. Wind when admitted to the forest dries the soil, re- 

 moves the soil cover, and produces an unhealthy condition of the 

 stand. 



As a remedy for these defects, Dr. Clark advised: 



1 . Shutting out of all stock. 



2. Planting wind-breal<s, especially on south and west. 



3. Planting up failed places. 



An interesting discussion followed Dr. Clark's address, 

 which was taken part in by Mr. Nelson Monteith, M.P.P., Mr. 

 Southworth, Mr. R. D. Craig, and others. 



Dr. Clark gave also a short course of lectures, with practical 

 demonstration in the Ontario Agricultural College, on wood-lots, 

 to the Farmers' Institute speakers, so that they would be able to 

 discuss the question more intelligently at their meetings during 

 the winter. 



British Columbia has, in company with some of the western 

 states, been a great sufferer from forest fires during the past sea- 

 son, the drought which made them a possibility lasting on through 

 the summer. The air was filled with smoke throughout a great 

 part of the summer in many districts. Survey work was 

 seriously interfered with, and some parties could accomplish ab- 

 solutely nothing in consequence of the smoke interfering with the 

 view of the country. A member of one of such parties states 

 that in the district in which he was working, or rather attempt- 

 ing to work, in southern British Columbia, fires were occurring 

 on everv hand, and nobody seemed to consider it his business to 

 interfere. There were no railways in that vicinity, so that the 

 blame for starting the fires could not be placed on them. In one 

 case a prospector's stakes were found which were six days old, 

 and a fire which cleared the claim and a tract around was evident- 

 ly about the same age. One fire was approaching a small town 

 day by day, and the only action taken by the inhabitants was to 

 sit down and watch it from afar and speculate as to whether or 

 not and how soon it would reach the town. Beautiful hillsides 

 clothed with timber of the finest quality, green and flourishing 

 when first visited, were found in a week or two after a mass of 

 smoking ruins, their beauty and wealth reduced to smoke and 

 ashes. The Bush Fires Act of British Columbia provides that all 

 officials of the Government are required to enforce the provisions 

 of the Act, but no special staff is charged with that duty, and as 

 a consequence no vigorous action is taken. It is a remarkable 

 fact that British Columbia is the only province of the Dominion 

 having control of its own forests, with the exception of Prince 

 Edward Island, which has very little forest, which has not made 



