58 



Canadian Forestry Journal, April, 1915 



daily consumption of noxious insects and 

 weed seeds, by the birds, is 633,000 busliels. 

 Nature study is much encouraged and two 

 societies in the province are interested in 

 bird-life. Alberta also goes far in defence 

 of birds. Only such birds as are specified 

 may be killed or captured and then only 

 at specified times. The aim of the legis- 

 lation is to preserve song birds, game and 

 insect eaters. 



In British Columbia the protection of 

 sea birds is a problem and the establish- 

 ment of reserves on one or more islands is 

 proposed. With a few exceptions all other 

 wild birds are protected by law. Keeently, 

 some imported English song birds were 

 added to the list of those enjoying pro- 

 tection when it was shown they were not 

 harmful to crops. Imported birds have 

 been treated similarly. 



OIL BURNING LOCOMOTIVES. 



Grand Trunk Pacific Will Use Them to 

 Reduce Fire Risk on B. C. Division. 



The Grand Trunk Pacific Eailway has an- 

 nounced that contracts have been let and 

 other arrangements made for the installa- 

 tion of crude oil as locomotive fuel on their 

 pas^senger engines to be operated between 

 Prince Rupert, B.C., and Jasper, Alta., a 

 distance of 718 miles. It is expected that 

 this installation- will be complete by next 

 .lune. The announcement does not cover 

 the uf-e of oil-burners on freight engines; it 

 is understood that these will continue to use 

 coal, at least for the present. — Conservation. 



FORESTS AND WATER STORAGE. 



Storage reservoirs, alone, can never be 

 made to control spring floods. This is the 

 result of half a century 's study by f ores- 

 tcrs and climatologists. 



Forests, in various ways, conserve the 

 water which falls in the form of rain or 

 snow. Branches of trees, by breaking the 

 force of rain, let it pass into the soil easily. 

 The cover, formed by decaying leaves, has 

 great water absorbing capacity. The 

 water held is given off slowly during 

 months, thus supplying s^jrings and main- 

 taining an even flow in streams. In addi- 

 tion to these influences the forests delay 

 thawing through the heavy foliage shel- 

 tering the snow from the spring sun. 

 When this snow is kept very long in the 

 forest and a long period of warm rain 

 ensues there may be greater floods as a 

 result of the forest influence but such cir- 

 cumstances are rare. While forests thus 

 serve as protectors of soil and conservers 

 of water th«y are producing valuable wood 

 crops. 



General uniformity of stream flow can 

 Ije brought about by intelligent reforesta- 

 tion, combined with storage dams on the 

 headwaters of the especially dangerous 

 streams. In this way the essential work 

 of the forests is supplemented and the 

 waters impounded for the dryer seasons. 

 Proper control of the runoff will maintain 

 industries -dependent on water power and 

 insure proper levels for navigation. 



SCHOOL CHILDREN AND FORESTRY. 



The Forestry Division of the North 

 Carolina Geological and Economic Survey 

 recommends the collecting of wood sam- 

 ples, leaves, nuts, etc., as a profitable 

 diversion for children. It publishes a bul- 

 letin on this subject in connection with a 

 competition the Central Carolina Fair As- 

 sociation has arranged, offering $20 in six 

 prizes for collections of native woods and 

 loaves. In both cases specimens are to be 

 nnmed. Competitors are to be children, 

 under 16 years. The Forestry Division ap- 

 jjroves the idea, stating that the child 's 

 natural desire for collecting may furnish 

 one of the readiest avenues for instruction. 

 To secure the best results parents should 

 direct the efforts and teachers should 

 recommend books on the work. It is sug- 

 gested that a collection of forest seeds 

 would be an instructive object lesson as 

 so many peojile do not know what the seeds 

 of the commonest trees look like. The 

 flowers and leaves of native shrubs, wild 

 flowers, ferns, mosses and grasses are men- 

 tioned as being well deserving of collec- 

 tion for county fair exhibits. 



DOUGLAS FIR. 



Douglas fir is the chief timber species in 

 British Columbia, and is third in im- 

 portance in Canada, deriving its name from 

 David Douglas, who discovered it in 1827 

 and introduced it into the gardens of 

 Europe. Its adaptability and rapid rate of 

 growth led to its being largely planted as 

 a forest tree in Germany, France, Den- 

 niark and England, and the Indians in 

 British Columbia sell immense quantities 

 of seeds to European dealers every year. 

 A Danish plantation at the age of 29 years 

 produced 87 cords of wood, equal to an 

 annual production of three cords per acre, 

 which is about three times the growth- 

 rate of white pine on average soil in 

 Canada. The wood of Douglas fir is also 

 considerably stronger than white pine, and 

 is valued highly for construction purposes 

 because of its size, strength and com- 

 parative lightness. 



