Canadian Forestry Journal, July, 1915 



129 



FROJd NOVA ^-SCOTIA. 



A report to the Journal from Xova 

 Scotia, dated June 22nd. states: "We 

 have had a cohl wet spring and it is 

 still very disagreeable. Notwithstand- 

 ing the wet weather some bad fires 

 have been reported ; one on the Jor- 

 dan river. Shelbourne Countv. evi- 



dently set intentionally in several 

 places, burnt up camps and a couple 

 of a million feet of logs that were 

 hung up in the woods. Another in 

 the same country where 10.000.000 

 feet of lumber was piled was set by 

 the railway, but fortunately was got 

 under control.'' 



Dividends and Forest Guarding 



Sound financing of wood-using companies demands elimination 



of fire risks as far as possible 



In a very few years no prospectus 

 of pulp, paper, or lumber company 

 will go to the public without a plain 

 declaration of the management's pol- 

 icy in regard to protection of the 

 limits from fire. As the 'Financial 

 Post' in a recent issue pointed out, 

 there is no more important feature 

 than the preservation of the forest 

 reserves which provide the raw ma- 

 terials. Keen competition may be met 

 by foresight and judgment. But fire 

 may at any moment sweep away part 

 at least of the foundation on Avhieh 

 all business policies and plans depend. 

 Under these circumstances, as the 

 'Post" says, investors in securities 

 based upon the pulp industry are 

 deeply concerned with safeguards 

 against the fire menace. 



The St. ^laurice Valley Forest Pro- 

 tective Association illustrates how far 

 from quixotic is the idea that forest 

 conflagrations can be defeated by a 

 reasonable show of human strength 

 and ingenuity. The territory patrolled 

 comprises over 12.000 square miles, or 

 over eight million acres. The staff 

 during 1914 consisted of a manager, 

 Mr. Henry Sorgius. a clerk, six inspec- 

 tors, and 54 rangers. Two hundred 

 and thirty-one fires were reported, of 

 M'hieh 22 were set by river drivers. 10 

 by fishermen. 56 bv railwavs. 80 by 



settlers, and 46 unknown, in addition 

 to some others of miscellaneous source. 

 One-third of a cent per acre repre- 

 sented the cost of fire-fighting and 

 patrol — which reckons at .^2.25 per 

 square mile. It is probable that 1915 

 will show a ratio con-siderably de- 

 creased, owing to the better weather 

 conditions. 



The Lower Ottawa Forest Protec- 

 tive Association is close neighbor to 

 the St. Maurice, patrolling a territory 

 comprising over 11.000 square miles 

 or over seven million acres on the 

 watershed of the Gatineau. Lievre, 

 Rouge, Nation and Coulonge rivers. 

 The staff utilized last year was a chief 

 inspector, three inspectors, and 52 

 rangers. Although the Lower Ottawa 

 started work only when the dangerous 

 1914 season was showing its temper, 

 excellent service was done. The fire 

 loss did not exceed eight-tenths of one 

 per cent of the amount of timber pro- 

 tected. Seventy-two out of 154 fires 

 were caused by settlers. 15 by fisher- 

 men and sportsmen. 17 by lightning, 

 12 by drivers and woodsmen, 4 by rail- 

 roads, 9 by trappers and Indians, and 

 25 of unknown origin. The total cost 



of the patrol and fire fighting work 



was $1.91 per square mile, or less than 



three-tenths of one cent per acre. 



