8 Canadian Forestry Journal. 



ago, introduced into one of its departments a forestry branch. 

 It has done a great deal of good in that respect and I hope that 

 Mr. Stewart, who is the administrator of this branch, will give 

 us some information as to the work which he has done. It 

 has done a great deal already to my certain knowledge and to 

 the knowledge of everyone who has been in the North-West. 

 It was my privilege last September to visit the Province of 

 Manitoba and the new provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. 

 Fourteen years had elapsed since I had seen them before and 

 of all things which struck me in this wonderful country the thing 

 which perhaps gladdened my heart more than anything else, 

 is the attention which is given to forestry. Fourteen years ago 

 when I first visited the Province of Manitoba and the Territories 

 of Alberta and Saskatchewan the farms were absolutely barren 

 of trees; you could not see a tree around them. Now, I am 

 glad to say that around most of the farms of Manitoba and many 

 in Saskatchewan and Alberta you can see groves of trees. The 

 City of Winnipeg in that respect is an example to the cities of 

 the east. The City of Winnipeg has done marvels in the way of 

 tree planting. The streets of Winnipeg to-day are a credit 

 to that city and would be a credit to even an older city than 

 it is. But, there is a great deal to be done in the east and in 

 that respect perhaps my own province of Quebec is the greatest 

 sinner. My own countryman, the French-Canadian, is the 

 man with the axe. There is no better man in that respect than 

 he. He goes into the forest and there is no man who can equal 

 him in forest work, but, in the meantime, he has not been as 

 careful as he should have been in preserving the trees in his 

 midst. I should like to impress upon every Canadian farmer 

 the necessity of covering with trees every rocky hill and the 

 bank of every running stream. It is very easily done. He has 

 only to scatter the seeds on the ground, fence it and nature will 

 do the rest. These are some of the questions w^hich I hope will 

 be taken into consideration by yourselves. I do not intend to 

 limit the number of questions which shall be taken into consider- 

 ation but these are some to which, with others, I invite the serious 

 attention of this Convention. I have much pleasure in calling 

 upon Mr. R. L. Borden, the leader of the Opposition in the 

 House of Commons. 



Mr. R. L. Borden. — I welcome the opportunity of being 

 present at this Convention and of expressing my appreciation of 

 the importance of our forest resources. To men familiar as 

 you are with the subject all that I can say must seem trite and 

 commonplace ; but I venture a few remarks merely for the 

 purpose of indicating my interest in this great question. 



Canada is remarkable not only for the extent and variety 

 of her resources but for the diversified nature of the country 



