NEW BRUNSWICK FORESTRY CONVENTION 197 



MR. HUTCHESON In seconding the motion, let me say in regard to 

 tire protection, the object to be arrived at and desired by this conventioa 

 and by everyone interested in the manufacture and use of lumber is, how 

 can we protect from destruction by fire. 



I think it is safe to say about half the area of lumber lands in the Prov- 

 ince, or generally classed as forest land, that about the half of it has been 

 destroyed by forest fires. 



In regard to the section of Northumberland County on the Cain River, 

 there is no less than 300 square miles burned over in a square block district; 

 on the north branch of the Renous River, some 25 years ago a fire took 

 place and in the one block there is about 20 miles ; the north branch of the 

 Portage Road comes through about five miles of burnt land. On the 

 Dungarvon in that county there was a fire took place this year that burned 

 I think 25 miles, as a fair estimate of the quantity destroyed. On the south 

 branch of the Renous, in the well watered section, there were three fires 

 started there last year and they burned a large section ; but on those three 

 branches of the Miramichi within my recollection there have been burned at 

 least between four and five hundred square miles of land. 



And the land at the head of the Northwest and at the head of the north 

 branch of the Southwest Miramichi is practically all burned land, all except 

 the intervals and the highlands where the ground was moist ; but all the 

 ^highlands, what we call Bald Mountain, they are all bald, there is nothing on 

 ithern. 



I am told on the Restigouche there was a very large amount of land 

 turned and the country is in a few years utterly destroyed. I have myself 

 -cut logs that were partly burned and they gave me only about fourth quality 

 loos, because between the June fire and the time they were cut the worms 



O * 



Jiad practically destroyed them. 



In the last few years destroying between four and five hundred miles in 

 districts I have been over I feel in the next 25 years perhaps if we are not a 

 little more careful than we have been it will make little difference to us about 

 this fire protection at all. 



The most important business of the Province I do not think is Forestry, 

 the most important is agriculture. When any of this forest land is pro- 

 nounced suitable for settlement and agriculture I am quite willing that the 



