1244 



Canadian Forestry Journal, August, 1917 



any Ontario municipality, probably 

 for lack of any educational propag- 

 anda favoring better care of woocl- 

 lots and the planting up of barren 

 lands. Ontario presents an enticing 

 opportunity in this respect, which 

 might appeal to the Department of 

 Lands and Forests when present re- 

 organization of the forest protection 

 work is running smoothly. 



.1 Scottish View 



The Royal Scottish Arboricultural 

 Society recently submitted to the 

 Reconstruction Committee of the 

 British Government some truths on 

 the taxation of planted lands. They 

 are suggestive, at least, of -similar 

 consideration between local or central 

 governments and private planters: 



The reasons for the encourage- 

 ments suggested are — 



1. That every acre of land planted 

 is a gain to the country, and that this 

 gain can be obtained more cheaply 

 by inducing owners to plant than by 

 the State buying the land and doing 

 the planting ^itself. 



2. That an immense cjuantity of 

 timber has been felled to meet na- 

 tional rec{uirements during the war, 

 without any corresponding planting 

 having been done; and that it is neces- 

 sary to stimulate replanting. 



3. That many persons who would 

 be willing to plant are not in a finan- 

 cial position to do so; whilst others 

 are not prepared to incur the whole 

 loss of an outlay for which they can- 

 not expect any return during their 

 lifetime. 



4. That from 2 3^2 percent, to 3 per 

 cent, is all the return that can be 

 counted on for money invested in 

 planting, and that for this return the 

 planter must wait many years, where- 

 as he can obtain an immediate return 

 of 5 per cent, if he invests his money 

 in other ways. That, therefore, if 

 the State desires him on national 

 grounds to invest his money in plant- 

 ing, it must offer him some com- 

 pensation for doing so. 



Money Inducements 

 The following are suggested as in- 

 ducements which might prove effec- 

 tive; and they should be given eciually 

 for the renewal of old plantations 



and the creation of new ones: — 



1. A bonus of 1 pound, 10 shillings 

 per acre for every acre planted — the 

 only condition in this case being an 

 undertaking on the part of the owner 

 that the trees selected shall be suit- 

 able, the planting properly done, and 

 the young plants protected against 

 damage by rabbits. 



2. A bonus of 3 pounds for every 

 acre planted. In this case, besides 

 the above-mentioned conditions, the 

 Government would have, in the event 

 of war, the first claim to the timber, 

 at the average price of the three pre- 

 ceding years. 



3. An advance of the whole sum 

 recjuired for planting, to be repaid, 

 capital and interest, by annual in- 

 stalments spread over a considerable 

 period. This method may be pre- 

 ferred by a certain number of land- 

 owners, though the number may not 

 be great at present owing to the high 

 rate of interest prevailing. 



FIRES STARTED BY QUARTZ 

 PRISMS? 



The Journal is in receipt of the fol- 

 lowing interesting letter from Mr. 

 R. F. Davy, Assistant Engineer, De- 

 partment of Public Works, Temis- 

 kaming Station, P.Q. 

 Dear Sir: — 



Will you kindly publish the follow- 

 ing in your next issue as I would like 

 to get comments and to know if 

 others have advanced this idea re 

 forest fires. In 1906 I was Locating 

 Engineer on the National Trans- 

 continental Railway in Northern Que- 

 bec — when camping on the Hurricana 

 River I noticed a forest fire start 

 away to the North and to the West 

 of the river. I am practically certain 

 that no Indians were in the vicinity 

 and I am also certain there had been 

 no lightning up to that titne of the 

 year. A thought occurred to me that 

 this fire was caused by the reflection 

 of the sun rays on some white quartz 

 exposed on the hill side — the cjuartz 

 acting as a prism or a sun glass. We 

 know fire can be started from a prism 

 made of ice and the reflection of the 

 sun. The dry grass or vegetable 

 matter lying near this exposed prism 

 would easily light and spread. 



