96 



Canadian Forestry Journal, June, 1915 



fire which was within a very short dis- 

 tance of them originally. This is the 

 situation however that at the present 

 time faces the fire fighters in the for- 

 ests at every point. Neither roads nor 

 trails are opened up through great 

 extents of the forest, and passage is 

 almost impossible. Fire is within a 

 very short distance of the fire fighting 

 force and they are compelled to take 

 a detour which will mean the loss of 

 hours and possibly days, or else con- 

 sume the same time in cutting out a 

 new road or trail, with the result that 

 when they arrive at the fire it has got 

 beyond control altogether. Fire and 

 war must be largely fought before 

 they occur. 



When the fire brigade of a city ar- 

 rives at a fire it has with it the equip- 



ment necessary for extinguishing the 

 fire. In these modern days in the 

 cities this equipment has become very 

 elaborate in its nature. In the forest 

 there is the same necessity but owing 

 to difficulties of transport, water sup- 

 ply, etc., it is not possible to handle 

 fires with similar equipment. The 

 shovel, the ax, the hoe, the canvas 

 water bucket, are the great standbys 

 in fighting fire. Chemical extinguish- 

 ers and portable pumps are used to a 

 certain extent but their use is neces- 

 sarily limited. Equipment sufficient 

 and conveniently placed in the forest 



must be ready. 



These methods followed out thor- 

 oughly will make the forest fire proof. 

 Until they are the case is hopeless. 



FOREST MANAGEMENT IN DOMINION PARKS 



BY 



By A. Knechtel, Chief Forester of Dominion Parks. 



To produce timber for the sawmill they occupy gi'ound that might be oc- 



is not the chief purpose of forest man- cupied by young thrifty trees. 



agement in the Dominion Parks. Its ^ Forestry for commercial purposes 



. ^ . , , turns all mature trees into lumber ; 



purpose IS to protect and improve the ,^^^^ -^ p^^,j^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^.^^ portions of 



forests that they may perpetually the primitive woods should be left 

 clothe the hills and valleys with standing. They have an interest at- 

 beauty ; that they may give health and taching to them because they show 

 pleasure to the persons who visit ^he condition of the forest before the 



advent of the white man, and be- 

 cause they have a vegetation of their 

 own in mixture of species, shrubbery, 

 flowers, ferns and mosses. And they 

 liave a characteristic fringe of twigs 

 and foliage that are lacking in the 

 cultivated forest. 



Trees planted for commercial pur- 

 poses are selected on account of the 

 (|uantity of Wood which they will pro- 

 duce of the qualities desired by the 

 mills. Two or three species usually 

 serve such purpose better than a 



them, and that they may protect the 

 game and the fish that inhabit them. 

 In park administration many trees 

 are left standing which would be cut 

 down if the forest were managed for 

 market purposes. Thus in Stanley 

 Park at Vancouver certain trees are 

 treasured on account of their large 

 size. Even an old dead stub is care- 

 fully preserved as it measures about 

 sixty feet in circumference at the 



base. Another tree is highly prized larger number. No heed is given to 



because it is covered with knots along variety for aesthetic reasons. The 



its entire trunk. In the commercial planting is done simply for a wood 



forest such trees are undesirable as crop. But in planting for park pur- 



