862 Canadian Forestry Journal, December, ipi6 



Timber Cut Rises. take care of the consumption at that 

 "In discussing this whole question time for one and a half years. The 

 I should like to draw mv conclusions growth on the areas lumbered each 

 from a smaller region with which I am year from now on will not be sufficient 

 more familiar, and leave the question to take care of the increased cut. 

 of the whole Province for those who Grooving Neiv Crops. 

 have travelled more widely than I. "The conditions for reproduction are 

 "For the last twelve years I have on the whole fairly good- On areas 

 worked in the valley of the St. Maurice that have been burned over much de- 

 River, and have surveyed and mapped pends on the area burnt and the pre- 

 an area of about 2,500 square miles, vailing winds and the proximity of for- 

 and have travelled over practically the gsts capable of producing seed. As 

 whole valley. I have also made care- the coniferous trees do not seed each 

 ful studies of the amounts of timber year, it is sometimes several years be- 

 on sample sections oyer the whole of fore any seed is scattered over burnt 

 the area, and studied conditions of areas. Then sometimes a nurse crop 

 growth and reproduction, and am in of poplar and white birch comes up be- 

 consequence able to give facts from fore the spruce and balsam commence 

 which anyone can draw his own con- to seed. I have seen several very 

 elusions. large areas which were burnt more 

 "The valley of the St. Maurice than fifty years ago on which there is 

 River contains about 12,329 square to this day no reproduction of spruce 

 miles, and has all the timber types of or balsam except a few scattered trees, 

 the province except the Northern Sub- Then, too, the reproduction as practised 

 artic. by nature is very haphazard, being 

 "The approximate amount of timber either too plentiful, as in the case of 

 cut in this section for 1915 was 408,516 balsam, which often seeds in such 

 cords. This is a little under the total dense stands that it has no room for 

 quantity, as I was not able to obtain proper development and the trees push 

 exact figures for timber taken out by up into thin, spindling poles which die 

 rail by one or two of the smaller opera- early from disease, or blow down, 

 tors. In 1910 the amount taken out Generally, however, the reproduction 

 was 282.720 cords, so that in five years jg only a small percentage of what the 

 there has been an increase of more than ground can carry and the trees grow up 

 140%, and this is at about the rate of knotty and bushy or are crowded out 

 28% per annum. ' by less valuable species. 



Fifty Years' Supplies. Choking the Soft Woods. 



If we take it that the increase will be "In regard to reproduction on cut 



onlv 10% per year for the future we over areas, cutting, as is done un- 



find that on the basis of our estimate der the present system of arbitrary 



there is only standing timber enough diameter limit, is practically using a 



for fifty years. Areas which have been selection system which favors the spe- 



. burned over cannot be counted on to cies which are at present unmerchant- 



produce pulp wood in sufficient quan- able, as the hardwoods. By cutting 



titles to be cuf under forty years at the out the coniferous trees, the hardwoods 



best, and areas which have been lum- are given less competition and their 



bered show that there is not sufficient growth favored and the opening up of 



timber left under the diameter limit set the stand allows them to seed in and 



bv the government to produce within their rapid growth seedlings choke out 



thirtv years more than three to five the softwood production. 



cords to the acre, and the figure is "Then, too, the forests are subject to 



nearer three cords than five. If we many hazards, the chief being fire, the 



say that the total area lumbered up to second insects and fungi, and the third 



the present time will produce at the wind. Fire has in the past swept over 



end of fifty years ten cords to the acre more than a third of the St. Maurice 



there will be at the time the standing Valley, and a few large fires would 



timber is cut ofif just about enough to very seriously reduce the amount of 



