208 Destruction of Pines neax Banff. 



Throughout the country general interest in tree planting ;s 

 rapidly increasing. Applications from settlers wishing to avail 

 themselves of the Government distribution are being received 

 daily. The tree planting inspectors report that the plantations 

 are set out and cared for in a more intelligent manner than 

 formerly, and particularly it is noticed that more care is given to 

 the preparation of the ground. 



It is encouraging to note that the C.P.R. are undertaking the 

 planting of trees for snow breaks along their tracks and are also 

 about to experiment in the growing of wood for ties and posts. 

 It is to be hoped that the first plantings will prove successful 

 and that this line of work may be more extensively carried on. 



DESTRUCTION OF PINES NEAR BANFF. 



During the fall of 1905, I noticed a stretch of timber with 

 all the appearance of having been burnt over — this was while 

 coming back from a day's work on Sulphur Mountain. I had 

 no reason to believe that it had been burnt over, as no forest 

 fire had been in the neighborhood, to my knowledge. The 

 matter having been brought to my attention by another observer, 

 I resolved to visit the locality when opportunity afforded. 



About a year went by before I had an opportunity of ex- 

 amining into the cause for such a phenomenon. On September 

 5th last, in the morning, I walked to Rundle Mountain — the 

 locality — arriving at my destination within 2 hours, and took 

 the following notes of the surroundings: About 1000 feet above 

 the Spray River (possibly more above the town), and 5 500 feet 

 or so above sea level, I found from 1 to 2 miles or thereabouts 

 of dead or nearly dead pines (Pinus Murrayana), that is from 

 the appearance of the leaves. These ran from E.S.E. to W., the 

 width about 600 ft., or more in places. The leaves on the trees 

 were yellow, many having been blown to, or fallen on, the ground, 

 the tops were green as a rule, the dying leaves only covering part 

 of, and seldom the end of, the branch. 



These trees are in what might be called rather open woods 

 and run up to a rocky ledge ; above this a few yards on, are spruces 

 which remain uninjured; below, there is a continuation of pine 

 (Pinus Murrayana), growing more densely and much smaller in 

 size, gradually merging from trees whose top only was scorched 

 with those uninjured. The bark was in no way injured, but 



