22 CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



obtaining any information we can for use and development in the future. 

 From some portions of this bog land we have evidence that in the past they 

 were heavily wooded, as the stumps and decayed portions of trunks are yet 

 thickly standing. If these waste lands could be converted into timber lands 

 our national assets would be very materially increased in value. 



Regarding the theoretical side of Forestry I have little information to 

 give, but I feel that we have in our Province an opening for both the prac- 

 tical and the theoretical sides of the subject. The practical man, the man 

 of substantial value, must begin at the foundation of the lumber industry 

 and work his way up from the skidding of the road to the building of the 

 camp ; and from that to the selection of the timber and the judicious and 

 wise cutting thereof, as well as a study of the nature of the soil in relatiou 

 to its growing qualities and the proper thinning of the scrubby and thicket 

 growth. This practical information, combined with the scientific part of 

 forestry will place at the use of the different Provinces of the Dominion ax 

 number of most valuable men. There has recently been established in the 

 University of New Brunswick, at Fredericton, a Chair of Forestry; an'd 

 we are looking forward to the day when we shall have in our Province men 

 graduated from this University who will prove themselves both efficient and 

 valuable to us in the preservation of our forest lands. 



Along with the question of fire protection comes the necessity of making 

 topographic maps of the Crown Lands under license. Along with the maps 

 and. the putting in of contours with the aneroid barometer there should be 

 secured information regarding the forest types, the character of the lumber 

 lands, suitability of the soil for farming and lumbering and an estimate of 

 the timber on the different areas. I believe that a very large expenditure 

 would be justifiable for the purpose of supplying our lamentable lack of infor- 

 mation along these lines. The division of our lands into agricultural and 

 non-agricultural was begun during the past summer and it is now the policy 

 of the Department not to make a survey or allow application for settlement 

 until the character of the soil has been ascertained by competent authorities. 

 This regulation will be strictly adhered to so long as I have charge of the 

 Department. 



The Public Domain Act of 1906 had as one of its objects the making of 

 a topographic survey. It is estimated that such a survey would cost about 

 $50.00 per square mile, or half a million of dollars for the lands now under 

 license. The Act provides for the running of lines around blocks of 1,000 

 acres and sub-dividing them into four parts of 250 acres each. The proposed 

 scale of the maps is one-quarter of a mile to the inch and some argue that 

 such a survey is too expensive. As the value of our lands, however, has been 

 placed at |3.00 per acre, the cost of running a survey would be only 2 per 

 cent, of their value. Considering the immense value and advantage of such 

 maps the money would be well spent and it is hoped that the time is not far 



