60 



Canadian Forestry Journal, April-May, 191Jf. 



POWERS OF FOREST RANGERS. 



A western forest ranger writes to the 

 Canadiait Forcxinj .JoiinuiJ commending 

 Mr. E. H. Finlayson's suggestion at the 

 Winnipeg Convention that rangers be 

 given certain judicial powers. This ran- 

 ger states that often in the far north 

 much more might be done in checking 

 carelessness in the handling of fire, or 

 violation of forest protection laws. The 

 offender may be caught red-handed miles 

 away from any justice of the peace, and 

 the rangers have no power to take the 

 violator before a justice without a sum- 

 mons, which might take weeks to obtain. 

 He suggests that chief rangers, or assist- 

 ant chief rangers, should have the powers 

 of justices of the peace. 



IS SECOND GROWTH AS GOOD AS 

 THE VIRGIN GROWTH? 



Mr. J. D. Howe, of St. John, New 

 Brunswick, writes: 'In the December num- 

 ber of the Catmdian Forefttry Journal the 

 views of the Deputy Minister of Lands 

 and Forests for New Brunswick are given 

 on two papers contributed by Mr. Allen 

 in the issues of October 1st and 15th last 

 of the Canada Lumberman. Lieut. Col. 

 Loggie, the Deputy Minister, after agree- 

 ing with Mr. Allen on the disposal of 

 brush, etc., regrets that he cannot agree 

 with his statement, ' ' that after virgin 

 growth is cut away quite as good never 

 follows,'' and adds, "my theory is in 

 lumbering; remove the merchantable log 

 at maturity; let in the air and light, and 

 the same process will rotate, resulting in 

 a bountiful nature supplying as good a log 

 as the virgin one thdt was cut away. ' ' 



' The questions may be asked — How 

 much of the forest does the Deputy Minis- 

 ter regard as virgin? Is it only the ma- 

 tured trees? Does he consider the smaller 

 trees younger and as second growth, and 

 that . a bountiful nature will continue to 

 supply as good logs as the first? If so, he 

 is laboring under a delusion that many 

 other high authorities in forest treatment 

 are laboring under; a delusion that is lay- 

 ing waste immense areas once covered 

 with fine forests. 



'In differing from such high authorities 

 on this question, I feel the gravity in 

 making these assertions, but as Nature 's 

 })roofs are so convincing, I take the lib- 

 erty in doing so. 



'If the trees in a close stand of virgin 

 spruce forest be carefully examined (large 

 and small) it will be found that they are 

 nearly all the same age, and should all 

 be considered the virgin forest. It is 

 thought by many that the smaller are 



younger trees, but examine and be con- 

 vinced. 



' When the largest trees are taken out, 

 letting in the sunlight and air, undoubted- 

 ly the smaller will rapidly put on new 

 growth and produce as good logs as the 

 first. This can be repeated or rotated, as 

 it is usually termed, until the first or vir- 

 gin stand is exhausted. While this pro- 

 cess is going on the new or second growth 

 will appear wherever sunlight is allowed 

 to reach the earth by the openings made 

 in removing the virgin growth. This 

 second growth consists chiefly of brush 

 spruce and fir branched to the roots,, 

 poplar and other varieties of so-called- 

 forest weeds, which give the lumbermen 

 so much trouble, swamping roads (greatly 

 increasing the accumulation of brush) in 

 order to secure the last of the virgin tim- 

 ber. 



' No, Mr. Allen 's views will be borne 

 out as correct by those who have much to 

 do with lumber getting and using. 



' I have dealt more fully with this sub- 

 ject in a paper sent to the Canadian For- 

 estry Convention in February, 1912, of 

 which a review was published in the June, 

 1913, number of the Canadian Forestrjf 

 J OK Dial. 



'This phase of Canadian Forestry is one 

 of most vital importance at the present 

 time, and should be carefully and impar- 

 tiallv looked into. ' 



BUSINESS VISITORS. 



Among those who called at the office of 

 the Canadian Forestry Association, in the 

 Journal Building, Ottawa, during the past 

 month, were Mr. R. D. Prettie, Supt. of 

 Forestrv for the Canadian Pacific Railway; 

 Mr. H.' R. MacMillan, Chief Forester of 

 British Columbia; Mr. E. J. Zavitz, Pro- 

 vincial Forester for Ontario. All of the 

 above are directors of the Association, 

 and Association matters were discussed 

 with the Secretary. Other visitors were: 

 Mr. G. A. B. Krook, Wolseley, Sask., Hor- 

 ticulturist for the Canadian Pacific Rail- 

 way; Arthur H. Graham, Chief Fire In- 

 spector of the Lower Ottawa Forest Pro- 

 tective Association, and J. H. Grimm, of 

 the Maple Syrup Producers ' Association, 

 Montrael. 



A FINE HOLIDAY GROUND. 



Nova Scotia is just being discovered by 

 Canadians from other Provinces. It is at- 

 tracting an incraesing number of visitors 

 yearly. Halifax is the centre of attrac- 

 tion, and September is the ideal month. 

 Attend the Convention Sept. 1-4. Help to 

 make it a big success, and see one of the 

 finest parts of Canada. 



