FINANCIAL LOSSES BY FIRES 61 



seed trees as one woiild infer from the numerous fire-killed ram- 

 pikes scattered over the area. The third fire apparently killed the 

 few seed trees that may have escaped the second fire. The average 

 number of young pine trees per acre resulting from the first fire is 170, 

 from the second fire 20, and from the last fire none. Regarding these 

 plots as averages for the whole burned area and supposing that the 170 

 trees would have come to maturity and had yielded 100 board feet 

 apiece, the average acre, if burned but once, would have yielded 17,000 

 board feet, upon which the dues accruing to the Crown at the present 

 rate would be $34 per acre. The second fire reduced the potential 

 dues to $4 per acre and the third fire eliminated them entirely. This 

 is a striking illustration of the manner in which repeated fires reduce 

 the future values of cut-over lands and it becomes all the more striking 

 when the acreage involved is considered. If we deduct one-eighth of 

 the area for the swamps, we have in Cashel about 14,000 acres of poten- 

 tial pine lands. If we suppose that this acreage had been burned but 

 once and that the young pine occupied the whole area in the quantity 

 indicated above, namely 170 trees per acre, and that the yield at 

 maturity would be $34 in dues, then the potential dues would aggre- 

 gate $476,000. At present, however, there are only 3,500 acres with 

 170 trees per acre and the dues on this would amount to $119,000. 

 Besides this, there are 9,000 acres worth $4 an acre in dues according 

 to the calculation above, total $36,000. Therefore, the potential dues 

 on the 14,000 acres with its present stand of young pine amounts to 

 $155,000, when, if it had been burned but once, they might have amount- 

 ed to $476,000. Or, in other words, the repeated fires on one area alone 

 have cost the Government $321,000 in potential dues alone. 



By referring to the tables of reproduction in Burleigh on page 57, 

 it will be seen that the area burned but once now contains, per acre, 148 

 trees of the various commercial species that will eventually produce 

 saw-logs. The second fire reduced this number to 50, the third to 36, 

 and the fourth to nothing. Disregarding the other species and taking 

 the red pine and white pine alone, it is seen that the area burned only 

 once, now averages 66 trees, that burned twice 32, and that burned 

 three times only 4 trees per acre. Asstuning that these pine trees 

 escape future fires and at maturity yield 100 board feet apiece, we find 

 that the first area would be worth $13.20 per acre in dues. The second 

 fire reduced the potential dues to $6.40 per acre ; the third fire to 60 

 cents, and the fourth fire wiped out the 60 cents. Unfortunately the 

 extent of the bums 30, 20 and 12 years ago was not determined, other- 

 wise these sums might be multipHed into the acreage in each case and the 

 loss in potential dues in the whole township might be thus estimated. 

 The area of the fourth fire, however, is 6,000 acres in Burleigh and 1,000 



