16 CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



Fire Protection for our Crown Lands. At the present time we have ten 

 thousand (10,000) square miles of timber lands under license a gain of 

 eighty-eight square miles over the previous year and of about seventy-five 

 hundred over that of 1880. We have still unapplied for nearly one million 

 acres of land, a large portion of which is barren or waste land, and I am glad 

 to notice that this convention is to discuss the question of waste land 

 planting. 



In all cases the upset mileage price for our timber areas is |20.00 per 

 square mile, and the stumpage price ranges from 40c. for hemlock to $1.25 

 for spruce, pine and cedar. The annual cut of lumber on our areas is about 

 150,000,000 superficial feet, or about one-half of the estimated annual 

 growth. This annual growth is based on the assumption that each acre of 

 land will produce one thousand superficial feet. Adding 5 per cent, a year 

 for growth, or fifty board feet per acre per annum, it will be seen that we 

 produce about thirty-two thousand feet per square mile, or three hundred 

 million feet for the entire ten thousand square miles. I may say that this 

 is regarded as a conservative estimate, for the reason that spruce will yield 

 approximately five thousand board feet per acre. 



The year 1908 was a dull one in the history of lumbering. This was 

 largely owing to the unsettled conditions of the money market in the neigh- 

 boring republic, together with the large stocks on hand at the first of the 

 year in Great Britain and other ports. With pleasure I note that the pre- 

 sent season is opening with bright prospects for the year and that there is 

 already a demand for our New Brunswick production in the United States, 

 and at fair prices. Taking into consideration reports from the English 

 market stating that the stock on hand at the present time is only 50 per 

 cent, of what is usually held at this time of year, we are led to expect a 

 good demand from foreign markets this year. Since the Presidential elec- 

 tion, the financial conditions in the United States have become settled, wfc 

 have had numerous inquiries for our white pine, and there is every indica- 

 tion of a good demand for our lumber at good prices. 



On account of the mild season and the late snow the present winter has 

 been favorable for lumbering. Whilst it is expected that the total cut in 

 the Province will not exceed 60 per cent, of last year's cut, yet we have 

 every reason to hope that under the conditions now existing the Province will 

 not suffer in the returns it will receive. There is, however, a considerable 

 portion of our lumber being cut for pulp wood, which, after being rossed, is 

 shipped to United States ports, and this business is rapidly becoming a 

 serious problem in connection with the administration of the forests of the 

 Province. 



It is an easy matter to prove that a great deal less money is left in tlie 

 Province by cutting, rossing and shipping this lumber than would be paid 

 cut for manufacturing it into deals, boards, scantling, etc. Whilst this 



