Canadian Forestry Journal, June, icjid. 



561 



wood than can be taken without 

 compromising the future of the for- 

 ests of which they have charge, and 

 it must be recognized that some of 

 the operations carried out by the 

 army not only in the war zone 

 where it is very difficult to limit the 

 damage, but also in the interior 

 zone, give some ground for these 

 fears. 



On the one hand, on account of 

 the present circumstances great 

 sacrifices have to be made. From 

 this point of view France finds her- 

 self in the position of an individual 

 who during long years has practised 

 economy and who having to face ex- 

 traordinary needs, imperious and 

 urgent, sees himself in the absolute 

 necessity either to take from his 

 savings or to appeal to his neigh- 

 bors. Who is there who in such 

 conditions would hesitate to take 

 from his savings the assistance 

 which was necessary? 



Precautions in Cutting 



On the other hand, it is assuredly 

 necessary to safeguard the future of 



the French forests, the utility of 

 which appears greater and even 

 greater from the fact of this war. It 

 is absolutely necessary for the oper- 

 ations to be carried out in each for- 

 est that the operators should be well 

 acquainted with the treatment 

 adopted, the management establish- 

 ed, the object desired, and the rules 

 and conditions which it is indispens- 

 ible to apply to reach that object. 

 No cut ought to be made, no tree 

 ought to be taken if thar would be 

 harmful to the future of the forest. 

 Any precautions that may be neces- 

 sary to avoid compromising the fu- 

 ture of that forest ought not to be 

 neglected. 



And it is not necessary to believe 

 that it is absolutely impossible to 

 reconcile these contrary interests. 

 Thanks to the great reserves of ma- 

 terial accumulated by the wise 

 management and foreslgnt of the 

 foresters the French forests can 

 furnish much wood witliout being 

 obliged to sacrifice their future. 



Saving the Settler from Cropless Lands 



The opening up of non-agricul- 

 tural lands to settlement has pro- 

 duced some of the most far-reaching 

 and pitiful tragedies in the Domin- 

 ion's history. Every province has 

 communities which have been per- 

 mitted to make the fatal error of a 

 bad location. Their subsequent his- 

 tory is an unbroken line of bad 

 crops, poverty, suffering and human 

 demoralization. Too poor to move 

 away, the farmer and his family re- 

 sign themselves to a pitiful stand- 

 ard of living, giving their time and 

 efforts for practically no return. 



Every province and the Federal 

 authorities have made such blunders 

 in times past, nor is there satisfac- 

 tory evidence that a general and 

 complete reform has been brought 

 about. Farmers still are allowed on 

 Federal and Provincial ''home- 

 steads" Avhich are impossible for 

 field crops. The policy was, of 



course, more the result of laxity in 

 classification and not a deliberate 

 eft'ort to send settlers to useless 

 lands. The laxness, however, is 

 growing in public disfavor, and the 

 tendency of all governments now is 

 to protect the settler and to con- 

 serve rocky, sandy areas for their 

 natural purpose of growing trees. 



Several survey parties are en- 

 gaged on soil examinations this 

 summer, and such work is bound to 

 achieve higher importance in the 

 eyes of governments. One party, 

 composed of Messrs. F. C. Nunnick, 

 of the Commsision of Conservation, 

 and A\"alter Graham, of the Experi- 

 mental Farm. Ottawa, are in New 

 Brunswick co-operating with the 

 Provincial Government in a scheme 

 of land classication. The project de- 

 serves the hearty support of con- 

 servationists evervwhere for the 

 benefits are far from local. 



