NEW BRUNSWICK FORESTRY CONVENTION 181 



(10) It makes it incumbent on persons having fire on their land to 

 prevent it escaping to others. 



The necessity for a much more comprehensive Provincial Jaw is very 

 apparent, and before closing I would suggest that this matter of forest pro- 

 tection from fire, receive careful consideration from our legislators during 

 the present session ; and express the hope, that, in view of the increased 

 revenue of the province, that such measures may be taken, as to make it 

 possible, to throw around these valuable forests, such a mantle of protec- 

 tion, as will materially conserve this great inheritance for coming generations. 



PRACTICAL FORESTRY 

 Mr. W. H. Berry read the following paper : 



We have heard and read considerable about reforestation and my idea 

 has always been that while it was always, advisable: to be forever setting out 

 a tree and to the interests of each individual in the Province of New Bruns- 

 wick to take some personal interest in this matter I have always thought 

 that the planting of the seeds and seedlings of the different growths which 

 are peculiar to New Brunswick hardly practicable. For this reason, and, I 

 will give you an illustration. For instance, after a forest fire in a spruce 

 country there immediately rises up a growth of white or grey birch over this 

 burnt area. After a few years when they have attained sufficient size to 

 shade the ground somewhat and from the falling of the leaves to add some- 

 thing in the way of a forest mulch to the ground the young seeds of the 

 spruce and fir will take root and come up in a thrifty condition. These will 

 grow in symmetrical forms protected from the hot suns of summer by the 

 grey birch and also from the winds in winter which I feel would have a 

 tendency to stunt their growth were they exposed. They attain in a few 

 years a growth sufficient to gradually kill off the grey birch which in dying 

 down add their portion to a very great extent to the forest mulsh for the 

 reason that they very readily decay. The spruce then having a start of a 

 number of years will continue to grow and eventually where you have had a 

 grey birch growth immediately after the fire in from ten to fifteen years it 

 would surprise you how quickly this has been converted into a softwood 

 growth of spruce and fir. On the other hand I will refer you to some of our 

 old pastures or fields that have outgrown their usefulness and have been 

 allowed to grow up in bushes. Almost invariably this ground will come up 



