CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 73 



amongst the hard woods, yellow birch, beech and paper birch are the most 

 abundant. All these woods are of good size though not always attaining the dim- 

 ensions of the trees of the first group. The annual growth of the trunks is also 

 much slower than on the banks of the St. Lawrence. This is due to the inferiority of 

 the soil, to the latitude, and, often, to the exposure. Generally speaking these 

 districts appear uniformly good for the growth of wood crops. I believe that 75% 

 of these lands should remain wooded. 



In this group there is very little virgin forest left-, as it has been exploited for 

 more than fifty years. All the wood possible has been cut to satisfy the needs of 

 the market. The evolution of the logging business, has been especially remarkable. 

 At first only the finest of the white pines were taken, then called yellow pines, then 

 the red pine, then the spruce, and to-day all wood that can be floated is utilized. 

 As the hard woods are generally heavier than the soft woods they have been spared, 

 in part, and constitute a valuable reserve for the future, Of the conifers there is 

 nothing but second growth left. 



In 1906, the total cut on the timber limits rose to a little less than a billion 

 feet (board measure). These products consisted of squared timber (yellow birch); 

 of saw-timber (white pine, red pine, jack pine or cypress, white spruce, black 

 spruce, cedar, black cherry, birch and aspen) ; ofpulpwood, (spruce and aspen) ; of 

 railroad ties, (cedar, jack pine, hemlock and taramack); and of spool wood 

 (paper birch), etc. 



The total amount of money received by the Department of Lands and Forests 

 from licensees and others for rights of cutting, sales of limits, etc., rose during 1906 

 to $1,266,114 more than six times the revenue of 1867. 



The grantees manage either saw mills, pulp mills,. or paper mills, or other small 

 industries. These are the veritable manufacturers of wood products in our prov- 

 ; nce. This group contains then the large proprietors, called also lumbermen. 



UNLICENSED FOREST LANDS. 



The forests of the third group are the exclusive property of the State, and 

 are free from all incumbrance. In this class are included all the lands of the Crown 

 which have not as yet been either leased or sold. 



There still remain a few of these on the south bank of the St. Lawrence, prin- 

 cipally in the Gaspesian Peninsula. The great majority, however, are situated 

 on the north bank, where they form a continuation of the timber limits of which 

 I have just spoken. A large part is found beyond the "Height of Land" and 

 occupies all the northern portion of the province. Throughout the region the 

 topography is exceedingly varied. Many plains are to he found, like the immense 

 plateau which forms the water shed and extends from the Abitibi to Labrador. 

 There is found also much more or less rolling country. All this territory is practi- 

 cally unknown. It is impossible therefore to say at present what proportion of 

 these lands should remain wooded and how much should be cultivated. 



These lands have a total area of 155 million acres. Unfortunately, however, 

 all of it is not forested. It must not be forgotten that the farther one goes to the 

 north, the more one observes a rapid diminution both in the number of species and 

 in the dimensions of the trees, so that beyond the fiftieth parallel very little forest 

 is to be found and thirteen degrees farther north, in Ungava, there is no more 

 arborescent vegetation ; this is the beginning of the desolate country of the arctic 

 regions. A certain proportion of these territories must be considered as unfit 



