84 CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



The annual cut should approximate closely to the annual increment of growth. 

 To obtain exact figures on this question is impossible without a vast initial expenbe, 

 and even then they may be far astray. The method adopted by the Miramichi 

 Lumber Company appears sound under the conditions found over its holdings, and 

 the principles involved will doubtless hold true for most of the spruce lands in 

 Eastern Canada. When the company became established in New Brunswick, 

 careful though rapid cruising was carried on over the whole tract by old woodsmen. 

 The history of each block was overhauled as far as possible, and from these sources, 

 a rough estimate was arrived at, of what might be removed annually over a long 

 term of years without crippling the growing stock, or diminishing the actual stand. 

 These figures were used as a basis to determine the annual cut. 



During the summer months each year, the localities which are to be worked 

 within the next few years, are blocked into square miles. This blocking is followed 

 by close and careful cruising which determines above all else the best treatment to 

 be accorded to the different forest types in each locality. In each case an analysis 

 of tree growth in required to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Having settled this 

 matter, the cruiser estimates as closely as possible the total amount ready for the 

 axe in that locality, and also the amount that can be removed most profitably 

 each year. Enough camps are put in every fall in different localities, to bring the 

 total cut each season up to the estimate of what the total holdings will stand. 



As the years pass, more comprehensive and thorough information will be 

 acquired, and the annual cut that the ground will stand will be more and more accur- 

 ately determined. In the meantime if proper care is exercised to accord to each 

 forest type the treatment that seems best adapted to produce the most timber in 

 the long run very few irreparable mistakes will occur. 



CRUISING AND MAPPING. 



A well organized force of trained cruisers is essential to a company operating 

 on a large scale and undertaking to handle its work conservatively. Such men are 

 hard to obtain at the present time. They must not only be practical woodsmen, 

 but must be quick to see the value of new ideas and ingenious in adapting them 

 to the woodswork. Under present conditions a company can probably do no 

 better than employ a scientific forester who is also a thorough woodsman and place 

 him in charge of all the cruising and cutting work. Then as more men are wanted 

 they can be promoted from among the woodsmen or taken from the forestry schools 

 and trained under the forester in charge. Until such a force is developed, very little 

 can be done in tKe way of conservative lumbering. 



TheMuties of a cruiser are various. He estimates lumber, plans logging opera- 

 tions, sizes up the capacity of the different streams, etc., and above all settles the 

 best treatment to be accorded the different forest types in each locality. During 

 the cutting season he has full charge over jobbers and foremen. He instructs them 

 how to handle the cutting over their working circle and sees that all regulations 

 are properly fulfilled. Good maps are essential to economic and thorough work. 

 The Miramichi Lumber Co. blocks its ground into square miles and their system 

 has been found very satisfactory. It enables full and systematic notes to be kept 

 of all parts of the tract. Two men working together and pacing for distance, 

 and using compass and barometer obtain the material for contour lines while 

 cruising the block. Again the block lines are of vast assistance in confining the 

 logging operations to certain localities until they are properly cleaned. 



