354 



Canadian Forestry Journal, January, ipi6. 



except that it is necessary for him to 

 secure a permit from the officer in 

 charge, thus enabling the Depart- 

 ment to keep a record of his opera- 

 tions and not let him abuse the privi- 

 lege he is granted to the detriment 

 of his neighbors. He may secure a 

 permit to cut wood, building logs, 

 rails, fence posts and fuel at very 

 reasonable rates, the Department 

 merely requiring him to eliminate all 

 unnecessary waste by cutting low 

 stumps and utilizing the tops to 

 their smallest diameter; also to burn 

 his brush in order to clean up the 

 woods and remove the fire danger 

 that would exist if this material was 

 left to dry and scattered all over the 

 ground. Certain areas are set aside 

 in each reserve where the settlers 

 are allowed to cut and these places 

 are chosen so as to be as convenient 

 as possible for everyone. Enormous 

 waste has taken place through all 

 the wood operations in this country 

 by both the lumber man, cordwood 

 and tie operator and the settlers in 

 getting out wood. It is a known 

 fact that only about one third of the 

 tree reaches the consumer after pass- 

 ing all through its many phases of 

 manufacture. Is it not self-evident 

 then that most of the remaining 

 two-thirds is wasted and lost un- 

 necessarily? Most of it is left in the 

 woods to rot or burn when the fires 

 get into the old slashings and are 

 almost impossible to control doing 

 great damage to all young growth 

 that has sprung up since the original 

 cutting off of the areas. 



At the Nursery. 



An experimental nursery has been 

 in operation for several years on one 

 of the reserves in order to determine 

 the tree species most adaptable for 

 planting up the barren areas. Plans 

 have been drawn up for planting on 

 a number of the smaller reserves and 

 we expect to plant a portion of each 

 of the prairie reserves during the 

 coming year. Much care and fore- 

 thought must be exercised in this 

 work and through the co-operation 



of the Indian Head Nursery plants 

 are secured to carry on the work. 

 The Forestry Branch through the 

 Tree Planting Division at Indian 

 Head has for years been supplying 

 the farmers, free of cost, trees for 

 planting around their farms and now 

 it is time that it was planting up 

 some of its own non-agricultural 

 land in the same manner. 



The Gracing Problem. 



The provincial authorities have 

 for the past few years been trying to 

 encourage the live stock industry as 

 much as possible ; and I may say 

 that the Forestry Branch is heartily 

 with them in this as many of the 

 reserves afford excellent pasture 

 which may be utilized by the settlers 

 or stockmen under a permit system 

 which is very reasonable. In some 

 localities the settlers have formed 

 stock associations to jointly fence 

 large portions of the reserve, in 

 which they may run their cattle dur- 

 ing the summer season while the 

 crops are growing. 



Many of the settlers avail them- 

 selves of the opportunity of securing 

 wild hay or prairie wool from the 

 reserves which they may get at a 

 ver}^ small rate of ten cents per ton. 

 In some instances where stockmen 

 graze their cattle during the summer 

 season on part of a reserve they are 

 able to winter them over on another 

 part where they have put up hay. 

 These men are permitted to erect 

 corrals and buildings for their stock 

 and the accommodation of their 

 herders. 



Public Not Excluded. 



The public use of the Reserves is 

 encouraged. Summer resort lots are 

 leased for a long period at a small 

 fee of $5.00 per year, the Department 

 merely requiring the owner to erect 

 a small house *to the value of $300.00' 

 and keep same in a neat manner. 

 Small portable saw-mills are allowed 

 to operate, in order to turn out 

 rough lumljer for the settlers.' The 

 prices charged by these millmen are 

 regulated and the settler secures the 



