NEW BRUNSWICK FORESTRY CONVENTION 191 



Convention to be held in Fredericton on the 20th and 21st of the present 

 month. 



I am sure you will have a very representative gathering. 



The object of the Convention being for the preservation and better pro- 

 tection of our forest lands should appeal to every citizen. The Government 

 should be loyally supported in their efforts to preserve this, our most valu- 

 able asset. Judging from the list of speakers to be present, the discussion 

 will be both interesting and instructive. I understand that experts in 

 Forestry will be present from the United States and Canada. I presume it 

 is the intention of the meeting to discuss and adopt the best methods of 

 forest fire protection. This subject should be given very serious considera- 

 tion. Fire has been the great enemy of our forests. Of course man, the 

 natural enemy of nature's most beautiful gifts, is also largely responsible for 

 the many forest fires that have occurred in our Province within the last five 

 years. From my own personal knowledge I say that a large percentage of 

 the fires are started through carelessness and very often by persons who 

 should use every means to protect our lumber lands. Lack of interest on 

 the part of our lumber operators and carelessness on the part of the foreman 

 in charge of lumbering drives are responsible for some of the fires that occur. 

 Men leaving the drive in the month of May, the most dangerous time of the 

 year, very often boil the kettle on the side of the portage road, get up and 

 walk away and never think of extinguishing the fire. 



Cruising parties are some times careless, fishing and hunting parties 

 have been known to start fires that have destroyed valuable timber limits. I 

 know of one instance where a fire was started by lightning last August. 

 This occurred on the Lake, near Little South West. The tree was struck and 

 splintered by the lightning. It was a long hardwood tree and burned slowly 

 and fell across the Portage Road. The fire was just getting into the dry- 

 brushwood when two men, Benjamin Stewart and Fred Holmes came along. 

 These men are employed by D. & J. Ritchie & Co., and were on their way to 

 one of the firm's bear houses, and were just in time to stop the progress of 

 what would have been a most disastrous fire ; it being a black spruce coun- 

 try and well wooded. Considerable old works let a fire get well under way 

 in such a country as that it would be impossible to stop its progress. 



We have the disease, now what is the cure ? The first consideration is 

 to. raanize a proper patrol system. Appoint competent men who will 



