NEW BRUNSWICK FORESTRY CONVENTION 91 



River, about twenty- six miles from Three Rivers, just where the former 

 emerges from the Laurentian Hills, and makes a bold plunge of 45 feet to 

 the upper level of the valley of the St. Lawrence. No more picturesque 

 location could well have been chosen, and the poetry of the surroundings is 



THE PROFILE 



greatly enhanced by the profile which appears sharply cut upon one of the 

 rocks at the Falls, and gives name to the town. The various buildings of 

 the mill are scattered along the face of the bold bluff, upon which the town 

 rests, and thus advantage is taken of every opportunity offered by difference 

 of level and the natural operation of gravitation. Seven miles up the river 

 at Piles is to be found the outpost of the mill. There is located a large 

 general store from which are drawn the various supplies required in the 

 equipment of the lumber camps beyond, the first of which is only about six 

 miles distant. 



The first step in the production of pulp as in the manufacture of lumber 

 is taken in the forest where the wood is cut and later hauled or floated to 

 the mill. The special advantage which Canada enjoys in the pulp industry 

 as compared ^i:h the United States, is to be found in her extensive and, under 

 prjper conditions, practically exhaustless supply of material adapted to the 

 production of the finest pulp. This fact appears prominently in the United 

 States census returns for 1900, which show that Canada exported to that 

 country, spruce wood for the manufacture of pulp to the extent of 349,084 

 cords valued at $2,272,495 ; an amount which represents 28% of their entire 

 consumption. With this important fact before us, we may profitably inquire 

 into the nature and distribution of this great source of national wealth. 



A great variety of woods may be turned to account in the manufacture 

 of pulp, but those which yield the best results are soft woods like poplar, 

 basswoxl, pine, balsam and spruce. In Europe the gradual exhaustion of 

 the supply has brought many countries face to face with a serious problem. 

 In the United States the great value of most of these woods for other pur- 

 poses and the limited supply available, has forced attention to be directed 

 toward the utilization of woods of relatively little value for construitive pur- 

 poses, which may be obtained in abundance and which at the same time are 

 capable of yielding a high grade fibre. These considerations have brought 

 spruce into prominence as the one wood most completely fulfilling the 

 necessary conditions. At the same time it has been found that on the 



