10 Canadian Forestry Journal. 



"temporary convenience of the members of society, but this 

 "prejudicial adjustment is easily remediable. But whether 

 "fertile lands are turned into deserts, forests into waste places, 

 "brooks into torrents, rivers changed from means of power and 

 "intercourse into means of destruction and desolation — these 

 "are questions which concern the material existence itself of 

 "society, and since such change becomes often irreversible, 

 "the damage irremediable, and at the same time the extent of 

 "available resources becomes smaller in proportion to popu- 

 "lation, their consideration is finally much more important 

 "than those other questions of the dd,y." 



Let us consider for a moment the extent of our forest 

 resources in Canada, their value from a mere monetary stand- 

 point and the importance of their conservation. Dr. Fernow 

 estimates that our nominal forest area comprises eight hundred 

 million acres, but that the actual available area does not exceed 

 four hundred million acres. To understand what this implies 

 and what it means to us in the future let us see what has been 

 accomplished elsewhere. In some parts of Europe the forests 

 are under state control, that is to say not only the ownership 

 but the management of the forests is vested in the state authori- 

 ties. I do not suggest that any such course should be adopted 

 in Canada but we may learn from their experience what can be 

 accomplished by wise measures and careful management. 

 Saxony has under state control 430,000 acres of rough mountain 

 land — an area not larger than an average county in Canada. 

 From this she has taken two hundred million dollars in the 

 past fifty years. During that time the cut has been doubled 

 and is of infinitely better quality than it was fifty years ago. 

 Then, only 17% of the cut was serviceable, now 79% is service- 

 able and the standing wood in the state forests has increased by 

 no less than 16%,. The gross revenue per acre has increased 

 from $1.75 to $6.67 and the net revenue per acre from 95c. to 

 $4.37. Canada possesses a forest area one thousand times 

 greater than that of Saxony. Make all reasonable allowances 

 and then estimate what untold wealth this country possesses 

 so long as the harvest of the forest continues. 



What can we do in Canada to conserve our forests? The 

 capitalist desires immediate profit, while the public interest 

 requires that our forest area should be exploited not only with 

 a view to the important consideration of profit but with due 

 regard to continuity and to the preservation of these great 

 natural resources. The forests if judiciously managed may 

 bear a crop once in fifteen or even in ten years. If destroyed 

 the crop cannot be renewed in less than a century. The object 

 to be attained, is continuity and conservation of the forests 

 which are to be regarded as capital upon which individual en- 



