RECLAIMING SAND DUNES. 



In the report for 1904 of Dr. Jas. Fletcher, Dominion Ento- 

 mologist, occurs the following interesting report in regard to 

 efforts made to reclaim sand dunes in the Province of Quebec : — 



A visit was paid to the large tract of shifting sand near 

 Lachute, Que., locally known as the Argenteuil Sand Hill. This 

 is estimated as now covering nearly one thousand acres, stretch- 

 ing along the Ottawa River in an elongated patch about four 

 miles long by half a mile to one mile in width, for the most part 

 entirely destitute of vegetation, but bearing in places clumps 

 of spruce trees, maples, tamaracks and willows. As is 

 usually the case on such areas, the surface is very dr}'; but a few 

 inches below this there is an abundance of moisture available 

 for the support of any plants which can be protected against the 

 drifting sand. 



At the request of Mr. Thomas Christie, M. P., I called 

 upon the various farmers living around this sand hill and 

 examined the work they had been doing in their efforts to con- 

 trol the sand. I found, without exception, that every one of 

 them had taken a keen interest in fighting against the common 

 enemy, and much good work had been done in the way of hold- 

 ing back the drift by planting trees and other vegetation. Since 

 1898 the attention of the Division has been directed to this 

 tract of land, and a few hundreds of plants of the Beach Grass, 

 and also of Norway and White Spruce trees, have been sent to 

 different farmers to be planted on the sand as an experiment; 

 but no extensive work has been carried on by the department. 

 I was much pleased to see the success which had attended the 

 efforts to grow trees on this apparently barren sand hill. The 

 kinds of trees which were noticed growing wild in the scattered 

 clumps which here and there appear, were White Pine, Tamar- 

 ack, Canada Balsam, White Spruce, White Cedar, Balm of 

 Gilead, Aspen Poplar and White Birch; and round the edges 

 all the ordinary forest trees of the region are represented. In low 

 spots two or three kinds of willows and the Gray Alder flourish. 



Of shrubs which attracted attention by their vigour and 

 the extent to which they had spread out in every direction, 

 special mention may be made of the following kinds which 

 doubtless can be made use of in prosecuting this work. The 

 Willow-leaved Meadowsweet (Spircea salicifolia, L.). — This free- 

 growing bush, which not only produces large numbers of running 

 roots or stolons, but also ripens much seed, was found to be cov- 



