Canadian Forcslrij Journal, Juli/, 1918 



1781 



Along the Kapuskasing River, Northern Ontario. 



In addition to the determinalion 

 of bonndaries of Forest Reserves, 

 the reconnaissance surveys he'p us 

 to gain a knowledge of the character, 

 extent and material value of the 

 forest growth in thecountry examined. 

 We obtain maps which show us the 

 topography of the country and the 

 location and relation of site and cover 

 types; we are furnished with reports 

 which in addition to matter lelaling 

 to soil, forest growth and proposed 

 reserve boundaries, give us valuable 

 information in regard to logging, 

 fire protection, game and other mat- 

 ters which bring themselves ^o the 

 forester's attention during the course 

 of the working season. 



Prairie Sand Lands 



To prevent homesieading on non- 

 agricultural lands, the Branch has 

 generally endeavoured to undertake 

 the reconnaissance in advance of 

 settlement. This has, however, not 

 always been possible, especially in 

 regard to the sandy areas in southern 

 Saskatchewan where unfortunately 

 numerous homesteads have been 

 granted, which on examination were 

 found to be absolutely unfit for 

 permanent agriculture. 



The principal object of the recon- 

 naissance survey is accordinglv to 



classify the land in i-egard to its rela- 

 tive value as agricultural land or 

 forest land and to locate the 

 boundaries of any area which on 

 account of its character is deemed 

 advisable to recommend for inclusion 

 in a Forest Reserve. 



Two Classes of Reserves 

 The Forest Reserves of the Domin- 

 ion are of two kinds:- 



1. Forest Reserves in well popu- 

 lated districts. 



2. Forest Reserves in rugged and 

 mountainous country or in the prac- 

 tically unsettled and largely unsur- 

 veyed country north of the prairies. 



Forest Reserves in populated dis- 

 tricts generally consist of '^nc- . 

 more or less timbered and as a rule 

 hilly country surrounded on all sides 

 by settled agricultural land. Such 

 reserves are for instance the Moose 

 Mountain, the Elbow, the Cypress 

 Hills, and other r'orest Reserves in 

 the southern portions of the prairie 

 provinces. 



A survey of such an area must 

 naiurally involve a very careful 

 examination of the soil conditions 

 especially in the transition area be- 

 tween the interior non-agricultural 

 and the surrounding agricultural lands. 

 For that reason it is necessarv that 



