1598 



Canadian Forestry Journal, March, 1918 



order lo carry out a proper organiza- 

 tion of his torest resources and to con- 

 trol and regulate the water supply, 

 he will require a staff which \yill be 

 larger and more efficient, than it only 

 one or other of the matters were 

 handled. If the operation should be 

 in unorganized and practically un- 



known territory, he wid be able to 

 obtain a larger part of the torest 

 information at practically no cost to 

 his company, as the improvements 

 in water power will for a long time 

 pay for this information many times 

 over by increased capacity of the 

 mill. 



War-Front Letters from Forestry Men 



Captain A. W. Bentley, 48th Brigade, 

 France : — 



Having spent nearly two years out 

 here with the guns I w^as very in- 

 terested to read about the French 

 Forests. I have never seen a French 

 forest yet except from the window of 

 a railway carriage whilst going on, 

 leave, (three times). The remains 

 of a French forest after our. high 

 explosive shell has done its w^ork, is 

 only fit for firew^ood and that is so 

 full of splinters that a saw cannot be 

 used. Wedges are the only means of 

 splitting up the pieces. 



I hope to get back some day to 

 where these forests are still intact 

 and unscathed and see one. All our 

 material, beech slabs mostly, is cut 

 up and sent up fresh from the stump. 

 Small pine poles are sent up as gun 

 pit props. 



CUTTING ROAD PLANKS. 

 Sergt. B. M. Stitt, Canadian Forestry 



Corps, France. 



We are still hard at work over here 

 doing our best to supply the growing 

 needs of the front line trenches. W'e 

 have been cutting white poplar this 

 last two months, most of it going into 

 23/2 inch road plank. About one- 

 third of the total acreage in the 

 valley we are now working is under 

 reforestation and it is highly interest- 

 ing to note the growth and system 

 of planting the young trees. We have 

 cut some 5 ft. and over at the stump. 

 Most of the trees are planted along 

 creeks and between every row of 

 trees a ditch is dug which is kept full 

 of water regulated by small gates or 

 weirs. 



HUN DEVASTATIONS. 



Quarter Master Sergeant S. H. Clark, 

 Canadian Forestry Corps, France: 

 I find the French methods of forestry 

 very interesting. This forest has 

 been under Government supervision 

 for many years and the subdivision 

 into compartments based on soil and 

 the resultant types is definite proof 

 of successful management. The or- 

 ganization, of course, is strictly mili- 

 tary and prior to this war it was 

 sufficiently trained to go to the front 

 as a unit. Only veterans are in charge 

 noW'. This forest which was cut over 

 by the Huns about last February 

 consisted of oak, 60 per cent.; beech 

 30 per cent. ; birch, 5 per cent, and the 

 remainder blue beech and ash. Lieut. 

 Tilt made an examination of the area 

 during early summer but owing to the 

 large amount of felled trees w^hich the 

 Huns cut and w^ere unable to utilize 

 before their retreat he found a re- 

 liable estimate difficult to make. 



Another interesting part of our 

 location here is the daily serenade we 

 receive from Fritz. To date they 

 have caused very little inconvenience 

 other than necessitating a transfer of 

 the crews w^hile the shells are coming 

 over. Of course this relieves mono- 

 tony and as we have completed the 

 cleaning up of this forest it is pro- 

 bable that w^e will not be located so 

 close to the line w'hen we move again 

 as it is not customary for non-com- 

 batant units to be placed so close to 

 the firing line. 



TRAINING FOR A BUS. 

 Lieut. D. A. MacDonald, Royal 

 Flying Corps, England: — ^I com- 

 pleted a six weeks' theory course on 



