70 Forests and Trees 



ground after the cutting. This was the natural breeding 

 place of many bark-boring and wood-boring insects, which 

 have increased so rapidly that they have now attacked the 

 green timber. This danger threatens the white pine, 

 yellow pine and spruce forests of the province, but it can be 

 controlled. These beetles prefer the bark of dying trees for 

 breeding places, and it is only when their numbers are so 

 increased that there is not a sufficient quantity of this 

 dying bark that they attack the green timber. If their 

 numbers are decreased so that the usual amount of dead 

 or dying timber will satisfy them, they will do no harm. 

 Their numbers, however, were greatly multiplied by enor- 

 mously increasing the dead timber by the refuse from the 

 cuttings. When the increase of the cutting could no longer 

 keep pace with the increase of the insects, they attacked 

 the green trees. Their number must again be decreased, 

 and no opportunity again allowed them for such rapid in- 

 crease. This can be done by cutting all infected trees, 

 destroying the rubbish, and keeping the forest clear of 

 slash in the future. 



The beetles pass the winter in the bark of trees attacked 

 the previous season. These " yellow- tops " can easily be 

 recognized by their dying foliage. The needles have not 

 all fallen off, but have turned yellow. If these trees, or a 

 very large percentage of them, are cut and handled in such 

 a way as to destroy the wintering insects, a great step will 

 have been taken toward checking the outbreak. The ways 

 suggested for handling the timber are either floating it in 

 water, cutting in winter and burning the refuse, or peeling 



