NEW BRUNSWICK FORESTRY CONVENTION 149 



-trees were then counted and the felling and trimming let out by contract at 

 -so much per tree. The outer bark was then taken off with the axe, also by 

 contract, and the peeled logs hauled direct from the stump to the stream, 

 where the process of driving (or floating as it is called there) was carried 

 out much in the same way as here. The average size of lumber used in that 

 particular mill would be when peeled 8 inches. In the case of lumber for 

 saw mills the logs were of larger size and were not peeled. The work of 

 getting these saw logs was carried out by contract at so much per stick. 



The forest was kept clean by felling all weeds, gathering up all wind 

 falls and tree tops unsuitable for pulp, and hauling and floating these to the 

 factory for fuel wood, such timber remaining uubarked. In one season alone 

 I took delivery of 25,000 cords (nearly) of fuel wood thus obtained and 

 20,000 cords of pulp wood. Of course such practice can only be carried out 

 in association with a factory using large quantities of fuel and where labor 

 is cheap to enable the fuel wood to compete with coal. There is no reason 

 why such a system of clearing the forests for the better growth of trees 

 should not be carried on here under similar conditions. 



It seems to me that the treatment of our forests should be carried out 

 on a broad common sense basis. A system of keeping the weeds under, 

 removal of debris, and thinning out to let the stronger and healthier trees 

 grow should be adopted and that such a system should be carried out on 

 well defined and comparatively small areas, either by the Government or 

 private ownership (license holders). Assuming that spruce (or any other 

 timber) in accordance with the prevailing conditions, were required, the num- 

 ber of trees per acre might be regulated by law within certain ascertained 

 limits. In this way the growth of trees of large size would be promoted and 

 the sawing industry preserved in those districts where today it is difficult to 

 find the necessary supply of logs of proper size. Meanwhile, there is ample 

 outlet for the smaller timber in our pulp mills, and the whole system might 

 be under efficient government control. Mr. Tweedie's bill of last year is cer- 

 tainly a step in the right direction and is marked by a broad common sense 

 vi 3 w of the whole question, treated on business lines. Personally, I hope 

 that thafc bill will be realized in practice although obviously it involves the 

 expenditure of large sums of money in its operation. It is a comparatively 

 easy matter to legislate but quite another matter to carry that legislation 

 into effect in a small community. The bill itself does not perhaps go far 

 enough. Still, it is a great step in advance towards a better state of things. 

 The question of longer leases I must leave to abler members of this conven- 



