142 



Canadian Forestry Journal. 



different conditions. From these the 



information will be compiled and maps 



made on a smaller scale for publication. 



Points usually ascertained were : — 



(1) the composition or "type" of forest; 



(2) the degree of culling; (3) the extent 

 of burned areas; (4) the condition of 

 reproduction; (5) the character of the 

 barrens, the meadow lands and the 

 farm areas within the timber country. 



The forest land was divided into three 

 classes: — (1) "severely culled;" (2) 

 "partially culled," (where only from one- 

 third to one-half of the timber had been 

 removed), and (3) "virgin." Reproduc- 

 tion of conifers was noted as "good," 

 "medium" and "poor." 



As regards the composition of the 

 forest, three "types" were recognized, 

 namely (1) pure hardwoods, (2) pure 

 conifers, and (3) mixed hardwoods and 

 conifers. A mixture of 25 per cent, of 

 either hardwoods or conifers was neces- 

 sary to constitute the last-named type. 

 Provision was made for a further sub- 

 division of the areas into "sub-types" 

 by recording the other species met with 

 on any tract in the order of the fre- 

 quency of their occurrence. 



The original idea of securing infor- 

 mation regarding soil conditions proved 

 too troublesome to be carried out. In 

 the timber country (generally speak- 

 ing) not ten per cent, of the area is fit 

 for farming; in some districts, how- 

 ever, meadow lands can undoubtedly 

 be extended by the reclamation of 

 marshes, bogs and swamps. 



The Future of the Forest. 

 To the forester the future of the 

 forest is of paramount importance, and 

 so it is gratifying to note Dr. Fernow's 

 opinion on this point in a letter to the 

 Western Nova Scotia Lumbermen's 

 Association. "Although the data on 

 reproduction and rate of growth are 

 not yet collated," he writes, "it is safe 

 to say that if the fires are kept out (and 

 apparently with the present organiza- 

 tion, further perfected, this may be 

 done reasonably well) there is .no dif- 

 ficulty in restocking by natural means 

 the cut-over areas if not too severely 

 culled. . . . In the pure hemlock- 

 spruce stands all that is necessary is to 

 remove the old hemlock thoroughly and 

 cleanly to have the young growth of 

 spruce, already established on the 

 ground, take its place." 



Reproduction of conifers is prolific, 

 where not prevented by repeated fires, 

 especially on abandoned pastures. Un- 

 fortunately two inferior species, namely, 

 white spruce and balsam fir, take the 

 lead. In the open white spruce beats 

 red spruce, a slower-growing tree. In 

 old timber the red spruce forms over 

 ninety per cent, of the growth and re- 

 produces well, especially under hemlock. 



The white pine is rare. In Shelburne 

 county there is a large area, burned 

 over about ninety years ago, which is 

 grown up almost entirely with white 

 pine, and has for some time been logged. 

 The timber, while merchantable, is not 

 very desirable. 



"As to the rate at which young growth 

 attains merchantable size," Dr. Fernow 

 further observes, "erroneous notions 

 seem to be abroad. While the white 

 spruce on abandoned pastures grows 

 at an astonishing rate into a knotty 

 rampike and occasionally makes a saw- 

 log in sixty years, the forest spruce 

 grows at a much slower rate, and may 

 not average a twelve-inch tree in less 

 than a hundred years." 



The three important conifers, viz., 

 pine, spruce and hemlock, were found 

 to be to a large extent confined to par- 

 ticular localities. Annapolis County, 

 for instance, maj^ be called the "hem- 

 lock" region, as this species forms 60 

 to 70 per cent, of the stands. -Shel- 

 burne County and part of Queen's are 

 largely pine country, while Digby is a 

 spruce county, seventy-five per cent, 

 of this species often occurring in the 

 stand of timber. 



MAILING LIST CORRECTIONS. 



The mailing list of the Canadian For- 

 estry Association publications has been 

 rearranged and brought down to date. 

 In a list of this size a number of errors 

 necessarily creeps in and some of these 

 were rather annoying to members whose 

 Journals or other jiublications were de- 

 layed or went astray. It is hoped the 

 new list will (jhviate this, and every 

 effort has been made to have it correct. 

 Any mernber who finds that his name 

 or address is not correctly given on the 

 revised list will confer a favor by drop- 

 ping a line to the Secretary giving the 

 proper address. The matter can now 

 be attended to without further delay. 



