1920 



Canadian Forcslrij Journal, Xovcmhcr, 1918 



be amply and undeniably corroborat- 

 ed, remove the suggestion from the 

 realm of pure theorv'. What are 

 likely to be the effects of such a 

 scheme if carried out on a large scale? 

 It would certainly, in the long run, 

 improve the climate, and increase 

 the rainfall, and have a tendency to 

 conserve the moisture. It woidd 

 afford shelter to the individual settler 

 and his stock. It would in time 

 modify, if not abolish blizzards. 

 It would ultimately help the settler 

 as to timber, fencing material and 

 firewood. Game and the wild fruits 

 are almost certain to largely increase, 

 and if the larger fruits, as apples, 

 etc., are ever generally grown, it is 

 only likely to be under some such 

 conditions. It would make travel- 

 ling along the sheltered roads a 

 pleasure, instead of the terrible ordeal 

 it at present must be on these bleak 

 treeless plains, and I beheve might 

 ultimately eradicate summer frosts. 

 My nearly thirty years experience 

 in this country, forces the conclusion 

 upon me that the places where grain 

 is least alTected by frost are either on 

 a southern slope or have timber on 

 the north or east of them. Any 

 abandoned or unoccupied homestead 

 so treated would not be simply a 

 curse of a weed Ped, as is now the 

 case, but would be a much appreciat- 

 ed legacy handed down to the next 

 occupant. These are some of the 

 benefits that would likely follow the 

 adoption of such a proposition. And 

 I would leave it to the imagination 

 of those who know the country, what 

 its general effect would be in, say 

 twenty years. What would H cost? 



Pass the law. Make it compulsory. 

 The divisional surveyor's field books 

 would show where exemptions from 

 it might be granted. Let the Govern- 

 ment furnish the seed and employ 

 homestead inspectors to see its terms 

 carried out. The Indi'ans and school 

 children could be enlisted under 

 direction. As to the seed, the de- 

 mand would soon create the supply. 

 In some seasons tons of it could be 

 gathered in Manitoba and doubtless 

 in some parts of Saskatchewan and 

 Alberta. As to fire protection: For 

 some time the cultivated strips would 

 act as fire guards and afterwards no 

 sane man would leave such a valuable 

 assets as twelve acres of live wood 

 without protection. Railway lands 

 and lands held by speculators would 

 have to be dealt with separately 

 But it is clear they would fall behind 

 in value in the market in competition 

 with land with wood on it. Still 

 these lands would derive a substantial 

 benefit from the shelter. and general 

 amelioration of the district through 

 the homesteaders' work, and if kept 

 persistantly unforesitd might be 

 made to pay a higher ratio of taxa- 

 tion for the unearned increasement. 

 All lands so forested could be 

 made free of taxation as long as they 

 remained so. In closing I would 

 point out that the adoption of the 

 above scheme does not necessarily 

 interfere wdth the settler's cultivation 

 of his land for cropping purposes, 

 but that the delay in fulfilling the 

 law would result in the like delay in 

 the granting of his patent. 



THOS. TOD. 



Campers Arrested 100 Miles From Fire 



San Francisco, Gal. — The vigi- 

 lance of the forest service as well as 

 the relentless manner in which they 

 follow up those who, through neg- 

 ligence or other reasons, endanger a 

 community to the ravages of con- 

 flagrations is exemplified by a recent 

 case. 



Two men left their camp fire 

 burning. Although the smoke was 



almost immediately detected by the 

 forest fire lookouts, it was supposed 

 that the county supervisor was burn- 

 ing drift and other debris. It was 

 found that a camp fire had been left 

 burning and had burned into the 

 surrounding forest, threatening to 

 destroy not only the timber, but also 

 the county bridge. Also it was learn- 

 ed that the two men had left the 

 fire burning and after certain evidence 



