1392 



Canadian Forestry Journal, November, 1917 



extension of adequate protection of 

 our present forests, wise utilization 

 of the timber when it is cut and fore- 

 sight in planning for natural and 

 artificial reproductions. Trees are 



becoming to be regarded more and 

 more as a forest crop, and with proper 

 system there is no reason why our 

 forests should not be a source of ex- 

 panding and permanent wealth. 



Over 7,000,000 Trees Planted on Prairies 



On the farms of the prairies of the 

 three provinces during the season of 

 1917, 7,450,000 trees have been plant- 

 ed by the joint co-operation of the 

 forestry department and the farmers 

 with the three-fold object in view of 

 providng the farmsteads with shelter 

 belts, the farmer with a possible fu- 

 ture supply of wood, and of adding 

 pleasing elTect by beautifying the 

 landscape of the prairie homeland. 

 Incidentally, trees are said to have an 

 important effect on the weather and 

 climate, as well as in the supply of 

 moisture. Certainly they tend to 

 check the winds and by catching the 

 drifting snow, they may be used to in- 

 crease the supply of moisture in the 

 soil of field or garden, an end much 

 desired in certain sections of the 

 prairie west. 



The deciduous trees are of five 

 kinds, maple, ash, Russian poplar, 

 caraganna, red willow and aspen leaf 

 willow. The evergreen trees include 

 white spruce, lodge pole pine, jack 

 pine and Scotch pine. The deciduous 

 trees are supplied free by the forestry 

 department, and the nominal charge 

 of a cent each is charged for the 

 evergreens. The express from Indian 

 Head, Sask., is paid by the applicant 

 in each case. 



Inspectors Tour Country 

 ' In order to supervise the work and 

 to see that the ground is properly pre- 

 pared in advance by summer-fallow- 

 ing, and to see that the trees are pro- 

 perly cared for after they are planted, 

 nine government inspectors are kept 

 busy during the summer season visit- 

 ing the plantations and inspecting 

 the preparations made by applicants. 



On one of these inspection trips 

 Inspector J. Cowie visited the Ed- 

 monton district a few days ago. His 



inspectorate extends from the Inter- 

 national boundary to as far north of 

 Edmonton as there are likely to be 

 applicants for trees, from the Sask- 

 atchewan boundary to the tree clad 

 slopes of the Rock mountains. The 

 territory is so large that a large slice 

 to the north-east of the Red Deer 

 river has been placed in another in- 

 spectorate, covered by an inspector 

 who also visits northern Saskatch- 

 ewan. 



In 1916 Inspector Cowie dealt with 

 1,327 applications and plantations, 

 and in 1,130 there was a decrease to 

 1,130 locations. The decrease is due 

 to the scarcity of labor since the war, 

 causing the farmers to have less time 

 to prepare ground for planting trees. 

 m per cent. Turn Out Well 



About eighty per cent, of the trees 

 planted have turned out well, and 

 where there has been failure it has 

 been largely due to uninterested ten- 

 ants on rented farms, the enlistment 

 of farmers, and the selling or aband- 

 onment of farms. Only about five 

 per cent, of the failures were due to 

 gross carelessness. The most success- 

 ful trees proved to be Russian poplar 

 and caraganna, and among the ever- 

 greens the white spruce has proved 

 to be the most adaptable to Alberta. 

 The pines are best suited to rocky 

 districts. 



Some farmers on the prairie have 

 found that the double shelter belt has 

 enabled them to grow small fruits 

 most successfully. The outer belt of 

 trees catches the drifting snow, and 

 the garden of berry patch is planted 

 in the treeless land between the inner 

 and the outer shelter belt. The farm 

 yard is often located inside the inner 

 belt, where the family and live stock 

 are quite comfortably located, even on 



