802 



Canadian Forestry Journal, November, ipi6 



thousand feet B. M. per day, is utilized 

 on some operations. 



These Scotch mills are a source of 

 amusing interest to the Canadian lum- 

 ber jack. The engine sits on top of 

 the boiler, And the mill is driven by 

 a fly wheel. The logs are fed to the 

 saw on a platform which lies on rollers. 

 These rollers are forced to turn by a 

 man turning a crank, and the platform 

 is pushed forward, thus causing the 

 log to go forward against the saw. 

 Some mill ! 



Everywhere one turns in England 

 and Scotland one sees large areas of 

 shrubbery and of trees of little value 

 from a commercial point of view, 

 areas which might be contributing in a 

 goodly measure to the nation's demand 

 for timber if planted in proper species. 

 This is especially so in England, and 

 yet, if it had not been for the action 

 of landlords years ago in planting the 

 areas we are now cutting, the timber 

 problem would be a serious one in- 

 deed. Whether the land owners 



were actuated in the matter by a far- 

 sightedness or merely as a hobby to 

 have wooded areas as a place for game, 

 it is difficult to say, but one thing is 

 certain that as soon as the war is over 

 the British Government will put into 

 force a permanent and comprehensive 

 forestry policy which will ensure re- 

 production of commercial sppcies of 

 timber on at least the areas now being 

 cut over. 



The Future Market. 



Of course Canadians would like to 

 see this timber supplied from our own 

 vast and superior forests, but we may 

 well take time to consider that if the 

 abnormal demand created by the war 

 is being supplied in Britain, more of 

 the normal demand in peace times must 

 of necessity be supplied by Canada, as 

 the reserves are being used up in 

 Britain. Thus we see that the subma- 

 rine warfare has not caused us to lose 

 our market for the supply of this tim- 

 ber, but rather caused its postpone- 

 ment. 



Forest Fires in Manitoba. 

 (Winnipeg Telegram, Oct. 27, 1916.) 



As a result of the loss of two hun- 

 dred and sixty-two lives in forest fires 

 in Ontario last summer, the govern- 

 ment of that province is now consider- 

 ing the advisability of adopting regula- 

 tions to prevent a recurrence of the 

 disaster. It is probable that Ontario 

 will imitate the example of Quebec 

 and British Columbia in requiring set- 

 tlers to take out a permit before burn- 

 ing the slash and deadwood on their 

 clearings. Such permits are not is- 

 sued in the dry season nor under cir- 

 cumstances where there is danger of 

 the fire spreading. 



The Canadian Forestry Association 

 has issued a leaflet giving a number of 

 excellent reasons why a similar policy 

 should be adopted in Manitoba. Peo- 

 ple are not accustomed to think of 

 Manitoba as a forest province, but as a 

 matter of fact it contains quite exten- 

 sive timber areas which are gradually 



being penetrated by settlers, and, un- 

 less precautions are taken in time, 

 there will some day be just such a holo- 

 caust as has caused so much suffering 

 and financial loss in Ontario. 



It is found by experience that a per- 

 mit law actually facilitates settlement 

 and that where it has been tried the set- 

 tlers quickly appreciate its advantages 

 as safeguarding their homesteads from 

 dansrerous conditions. As a further 

 consideration it is to be remembered 

 that in northern Manitoba much of the 

 soil is non-agricultural, and if stripped 

 of its forest by haphazard fires the loss 

 will be practically permanent. 



Presumably the Canadian Forestry 

 Association has brought, or will bring, 

 the matter to the attention of the 

 Manitoba provincial administration. 

 W'ithout raising the question of who 

 should pay the cost of protecting our 

 natural resources, it is the manifest 

 duty of the province to look after the 

 safety of settlers. The expense in- 

 volved would not be large, and the 

 benefit accruing would ultimately be 

 very great. 



