164 



Canadian Forestry Journal. 



tically, and in equity, it would appear 

 to be debarred from imposing condi- 

 tions which would involve additional 

 cost to the licensee who might not be 

 the original contractor. It must, there- 

 fore, be realized that such changes could 

 practically only be made by the govern- 

 ment adjusting in an equitable manner 

 any financial loss caused by changes of 

 contract. Moreover, he was convinced 

 that mere tinkering with the existing 

 conditions would not satisfy the situa- 

 tion; a radical change of attitude and a 

 radical cure was needed. This he 

 believed could be brought about by the 

 appointment of a Royal Commission 

 which should ascertain the conditions 

 and devise new plans in detail. 



After expressing the belief that each 

 province would soon have a bureau 

 of forestry and expressing the hope that 

 Canada would make progress like that 

 of Germany, Dr. Fernow went on to 

 refer to the work the Ontario Govern- 

 •^ent was doing in the reforesting of 



waste lands in Norfolk. There were at 

 least 125,000 acres of such lands in 

 Lambton, Norfolk, Simcoe, Durham 

 and Northumberland, and while the 

 beginning was a small one it was in the 

 right direction and should be encour- 

 aged, and continued on a definite basis 

 like the Prussian policy. 



At the same time he made a com- 

 parison. Five thousand acres of re- 

 planted lands in sixty years when the 

 timber was fit to cut would have cost 

 $187 per acre. On the other hand, if 

 the Government would take five thous- 

 and acres of cut-over lands reforested 

 by nature and place two men in charge 

 it would cost in sixty years $80 per 

 acre. Thus the Government was spend- 

 ing twice as much to reforest waste 

 lands as it would cost to take care of 

 the natural timberland which is allowed 

 to become waste. He hoped in conclu- 

 sion that his words would stiinulate 

 them to help in devising means for the 

 conservation of Canada's resources 



New Diseases of the White Pine. 



For some years past alarm has been 

 felt in sections of the United States 

 where white pine was growing as to a 

 "blight" which has appeared on many 

 trees of this species. Readers of the 

 Journal will remember the publica- 

 tion in the March, \^0&, issue of a cir- 

 cular from Dr. Haven Metcalf, of the 

 United States Bureau of Plant Industry 

 asking for information regarding 'n- 

 stances of the blight. 



The present knowledge of the blight — 

 or, rather, "blights," for several of these 

 have been found — is outlined by Dr. 

 Perley Spalding, of the United States 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, in a circular 

 on "The Present Status of the White 

 Pine Blights." 



In a short foot-note Dr. B. T. Gallo- 

 way, Chief of the Bureau, writes some 

 re-assuring words. "Comparatively few 

 trees have been killed," he notes, "and 

 timber owners should not become un- 

 duly alarmed, as the trees have in many 

 cases already partially recovered from 

 the blight. At present there is abso- 

 lutely no reason known for cutting or 

 disposing of thrifty young white pine 



forests in which are scattering trees af- 

 fected with the blight in any of its forms 

 nor should work upon proposed planta- 

 tions of this species be relinquished or 

 postponed from fear of this trouble." 



Leaf-Blight. 



Two forms of the injury, viz.; "leaf- 

 blight" and "twig-blight," have been 

 more or less widespread. In the former 

 the leaves, or needles, died down for 

 one-third or one-quarter of their length 

 measured from the free end (sometimes 

 even to the base, with the result that 

 the leaves fell oiT). The dead parts first 

 become reddish and in two or three 

 months fade to a dull brownish gray. 

 The leaf-blight affects trees of all ages 

 from four years up, and occurs indif- 

 ferently in thin or thick stands. The 

 pine bears leaves of two different ages, 

 as the leaves stay on for two years; 

 either the younger gr the older set of 

 leaves may be afTected. This form of 

 blight was particularly prevalent in 

 1907. 



After discussing various probable 

 causes of the disease, the author con- 



