Sixth Annual Meeting of the Canadian Forestry Association 53 



in, 1904. The Quebec Commission found that there is no anta- 

 gonism between the holders of timber licenses and real settlers, 

 but that difficulties have been created mainly by those desiring 

 to take up land to speculate in the timber. They therefore urged 

 the division of the public domain into settlement lands and mer- 

 chantable timber lands, and the setting apart of non-agricultural 

 lands in forest reserves. An extension and improvement of the fire 

 preventive service was also considered by the Commission as a 

 prime necessity. 



In Prince Edward Island, the area of public land being but 

 small, the Commission recommended that efforts should be made to 

 encourage private enterprise in the planting of trees for the pro- 

 tection of agriculture and for ornamental purposes. The desir- 

 ability of education on this subject was urged on the attention of 

 the authorities. 



Forest fires as usual caused destruction throughout the Dom- 

 inion, but had been largely controlled by the fire rangers except 

 in British Columbia where, outside of the Railway Belt, which is 

 protected by Dominion rangers, no fire preventive service exists 

 and the fires were numerous and practically uncontrolled. 



The tree planting scheme under Dominion management con- 

 tinues to develop. During the year 1904, 1,800,000 trees were 

 distributed to 1027 settlers, an average to each of 1752 trees. 

 In 1905, the distribution will be 2,000,000 trees to 1120 settlers. 

 The total distribution to 1905 will be 5,000,000 trees. At the 

 Ontario Agricultural College provision for similar work for the 

 Province of Ontario is being made. 



A committee of the Board waited upon His Excellency the 

 Governor General to ask him to be kind enough to act as Patron 

 of the Canadian Forestry Association. His Excellency received 

 the Committee most graciously, and was pleased not only to give 

 his patronage, but far exceeded their expectations by stating that 

 he would be pleased to do anything further in; his power to assist 

 the work of the Association, and suggested that, in the event 

 of a meeting being held in Ottawa during tlie present season, 

 he would be pleased to attend and might even arrange to have it 

 held at Government House. This kindly action of His Ex- 

 cellency and the evidence of his sympathy with movements af- 



