50 CANADIAN FOBESTST ASSOCIATION. 



doing, immense damage to our forests. Travel in almost any direction you 

 like in our forests, even in the most remote and distant sections, and you 

 will find trace of the destroying element. How these fire orginate is 

 sometimes very difficult to say. Very probably some of them are caused 

 by lightning, but I fear many of them are the result of gross carelessness on 

 the part of the stream drivers, fishermen, cruisers, blueberry pickers or 

 some one or other of the many parties who are constantly roaming the for- 

 est on one pretext or the other. The railways, too, are responsible for 

 many fires, and have shown great carelessness and unpardonable diregard 

 for private or public property in this respect, as the condition of 'the land 

 all along the line bears testimony. With a view of preventing this de- 

 struction, the Government has adopted strict regulations, and as far as pos- 

 sible, with the means at its disposal, tried to enforce them, but without the 

 hearty co-operation of the other interested party, namely the owners or 

 people; these regulations become largely a dead letter. Here, then, is an- 

 other case where both should co-operate for the public good. 



Another industry was established on the Miramichi a few years ago, 

 viz., the manufacture of wood pulp. There are now two establishments of 

 this character in operation on the Miramichi, giving employment to a large 

 number of men. These mills use small spruce, from six to eight inches, at 

 the top, and also other spruce, which, on account of crooks or other de- 

 fects, is unsuitable for manufacture in the saw mills. We have in various 

 portions of the northern counties, large quantities of spruce, straight, s Mind, 

 and clean, which, on account of thick growth or other reasons, has not for 

 years shown any perceptible growth. This wood is well adapted for pulp 

 manufacture, and the Government has adopted the policy of granting spe- 

 cial permits, allowing the cutting of this wood for the purpose of thinning 

 out. This probably is an advantage to the forests, provided the privilege is 

 not abused, as, in some instances, I am afraid it is. Competent men should 

 superintend the cutting, so as to prevent as far as possible a wholesale 

 slaughter of the forests, under the pretense of thinning out, and the opera- 

 tor, on his part, should be careful to follow the spirit of his license an- 

 other case where co-operation is necessary for the public good. Were it 

 possible to work this industry in connection with the regular logging opera- 

 tions, and bring out the tops which are now left in the woods, it would be 

 very beneficial to the forests, and probably this view was taken by the Gov- 

 ernment, when making their recent regulations, which required all opera- 

 tors to bring out all tops of five inches and upwards. But the fact that the 

 pulp manufacturers do not want anything under six inches, and the further 

 fact that our tops are, as a general rule, too coarse and knotty for pulp 

 wood, renders the tops of very little commercial value, compared to the 

 stumpage and cost of bringing them to market. 



Within the past few years, other mills have been erected on the Mira- 

 michi for the purpose of preparing the wood for making pulp and ship- 

 ping it in that form to the United States. Very large quantities of lumber are 

 annually used in this way, simply cut in lengths of about twenty inches, and 

 stripped of the bark, and as small lumber is used very largely, it does not 

 require very much foresight to see where we shall land if this continues to 

 the extent in which it is now carried on. I am informed that not less than 



