TREE PLANTING IN THE WEST. 



Norman M. Ross, Assistant Superintendent 

 of Forestry for Canada. 



Five years ago, in the spring of igoi, the Forestr}' Branch 

 of the Department of the Interior commenced a system of 

 practical co-operation with the settlers on the Western prairies 

 with a view to assisting them in the formation of shelterbelts 

 and woodlots on their farms. In order that the system, might 

 be successful it was decided as its main feature, to supply free 

 of charge, seedling stock of hardy forest trees to those who were 

 willing to comply with the regulations of the Department. 

 Since the scheme was put into force the number of settlers de- 

 siring to take advantage of this of^er has increased very rapidly 

 year by year so that a very large number of seedlings are neces- 

 sary to supply the increasing demand. This spring something 

 in the neighborhood of two million seedlings were sent out and 

 it is expected that from three to four millions will be required 

 annually in the future. 



To grow this number of seedhngs of the \-arieties suited 

 to the countr}^ requires a large area of ground. From the 

 experience in the nurseries during the past three years it is found 

 that on an average 80 to 90 thousand seedlings of ash or maple 

 can be grown per acre. The ash are allowed to stay in the 

 nursery two years and the maple only one. About TS% o^ the 

 trees distributed consist of these two varieties. About 50 or 60 

 acres will have to be devoted to nurser}^ stock each year to 

 supply the three or four million seedlings which it is thought 

 there will be a demand for. During the past three years a few 

 acres on the Brandon and Indian Head Experimental Fanns 

 have been placed at the disposal of the Forestry Branch for 

 nursery purposes. The am.ount of ground, however, available 

 on these farms is now too limited for the increased work. It 

 was therefore found necessary to select a site for a comparatively 

 large nursery entirely independent of the Experimental Farms. 



A quarter section of 160 acres situated a mile south of the 

 town of Indian Head in the new Province of Saskatchewan on 

 the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway was decided 

 upon as being the most suitable, owing to its proximity 

 to the Experimental Farm where nursery operations were 

 then being carried on. The land was virgin prairie but 

 the soil is lighter than that in the immediate vicinity and 



