1188 Canadian Forestry Journal, July, 1917 



cants a homestead of cleared land, ready for the plow, and they would turn 

 it down. 



A Menace in the East 



It is understood that the Lands Department of the Government of New 

 Brunswick is overloaded with "homestead" applications. Traditional 

 practice in some parts of the Dominion has granted these recjuests as freely 

 as they arrived. So-called settlers seeking some cheap and accessible', timber, 

 when the market is thriving, are allowed to take these generous slices out of a 

 licensed area. Indifferent to the effects of fire, careless as to the fate of the 

 main stand, they form one of the most dangerous menaces with which the 

 protective staffs have to do. Often the spruce lands are quite unfit for 

 agriculture nor has the settler in many instances any intention to try a per- 

 •manent residence. He clean cuts the standing timber, leaves no provision 

 for natural reproduction of trees, creates a fire hazard, and fmallyjiioves off 

 with some easy money. 



When the Special Interest Enters 



There are indeed many cases where permanent colonies have followed 

 the settlement of such tree-covered lands but in all too many attempts, 

 political pressure has compelled the giving of non-agricultural lands to men 

 who are petty speculators and nothing else. They pay no timber taxes, 

 observe no regulations and increase greatly the fire peril. Their interest is 

 transient, and antagonistic to every consideration of the public interest. 

 Not infrequently their applications are promoted by special interests con- 

 cerned in the founding of a colony. It Is the opinion of the Forestry Journal 

 that these 'interests' are mistaken, no doubt honestly, in their purposes. They 

 desire a permanent settlement, whereas the attractive crop of spruce is turned 

 to quick account and the non-agricultural soil beneath as often as not will 

 refuse to give a farmer a decent living. Such colonies are fated to live in 

 penury after the first sudden harvest of easy money on the wood and will 

 prove an eventual liability to any province that permits their development. 



Community Life Essential 



The straight-forward policy for any honest government is to refuse 

 homesteading applications except for land definitely proven as agricultural 

 and where it lies in sufficient volume to maintain a community and its social 

 machinery. No citizen ought to be allowed to locate himself and family 

 in a mere 'pocket' of good soil, isolated from schools, churches, and markets. 

 Where applicants can be shown to b? mere timber grafters, their cases should 

 receive short shrift. 



The Moving Forests of Alaska 



Trees flourishing on moving glac- of tree growth to soil" is noted "the 



iers is one of the curious sights pre- presence of trees in close proximity 



sented to visitors in Alaska. Dr. to some of the great glaciers, showing 



B. E. Fernow, dean of the Toronto an astonishing indifference to the 



Forest School, was a member of the influence of nearby ice masses. Not 



E. H. Harriman expedition of scien- only do the trees, whenever soil con- 



tists to Alaska and made the follow- ditions permit, grow close to the icy 



ing references: river, attaining as a measurement 



Among "interesting observattion within 100 yards of LaeProuse Glac- 



oh local distribution and the relation ier showed; diameters of 5 feet and 



