and natural bearings, as similarly realized for 

 example in the products of the field, but the 

 more serious one of the indifference of those 

 who cut the first crop. Most of us think of 

 trees as means of shelter, under several forms. 

 We like shelter for buildings, shade for oursel 

 ves, shelter and shade for animals in the field, 

 and shelter tor farm crops. These alone would 

 make up a large value in any district where 

 required, and would justify all the cost and 

 Bubrteciuent attendance. Yet we have another 

 aspect of the question that takes an equally 

 strong place in our regard : Climate is not 

 alone a matter of great outside causes, but one 

 intimately related to local influences, among 

 which trees are pre-eminent. We have no time 

 to show how temperature, rainfall, moisture, 

 and evaporation are directly influenced by a 

 small or large surface of trees, and how, therefore, 

 water is largely in the hands of trees for local 

 distribution. This second duty of forestry as 

 a science and practice would even seem to 

 swallow up the previous question, and is conse- 

 quently inducement alone to its prosecution on 

 our part. Were neither of these sufficient, 

 however, to convince, the third great reason for 

 tree cultivation will sxirely convert even the 

 most American amongst us. It is no matter of 

 doubt, under average conditions, in any coun- 

 try, that tree culture is more profitable as a 

 crop than its own agriculture, year by year. 

 This position is not open to question, but clear 

 and marked in all experience where age has 

 given time for proof. The area of trees in 

 Canada is not an unknown thing in the older 

 districts, and it is not true that it is poorly 

 wooded in comparison with other coimtries. 

 The United States can show twenty-five, and 

 Canada nearly fifty per cent, of the cultivated 

 districts as still under trees. This is possibly 

 larger than any other continent, if we except 

 the northern part of Europe, where agriculture 

 is necessarily at a discount, and where forest is 

 practically untouched. The cause of our dis- 

 content then is not want of forest per nation 

 but its regular distribution to subserve all the 

 needs of the nation. 



The existing condition of our forests is the 

 very first consideration in this enquiry. Out- 

 side of the lumbering interest, which of itself 

 is simply a taking without system, there is 

 no enclosing, preserving, caretaking, or conser- 



ving in any sense except the right of individual 

 ownership, some of whom do act the forester, 

 but nationally there is nothing recognized. 

 The average " bush " of North America is a 

 beautiful sight at:J yet a sad one. The artist 

 must revel in its variety of form and foliage, 

 but the fighting for place, the smothering and 

 rotting for want of light and air can only be 

 estimated by those who are scientifically and 

 practically foresters, I do not mean that our 

 forests in every case should be managed sin)ilarly 

 to those in Europe, because much of our best 

 timber requires very different conditions, but 

 similar pri: ciples ought to guide our manage- 

 ment. 



There are really no fiirures to give as to the 

 extent of Canadian forest, either as to gross 

 area or special kinds of timber The small map 

 recently issued by Dr. Bell, of our geological sur- 

 vey, gives a good idea of the northern limits of 

 the i)rincipal trees, but, of course, it cannot help 

 in either of the particulars named. As the 

 country, with the -exception of prairie, was 

 originally all forest and as we have cleared 

 about 25,000,000 of acres for agrictiltural pur- 

 poses, it may be said that the whole country 

 is still under trees with these exceptions. What 

 the extent is to a million acres nobody knows, 

 nor do a million acres one way or the other 

 affect our subject. 



We have four distinct fields of operation in 

 the future of Canadian forestry: Ist. The 

 untimbered lands such as prairie. 2nd. The 

 older cleared portions. 3rd. The recent forest 

 settlements, and 4th the untouched forest. 

 Each of these will require different methods as 

 to conserving, clearing and replanting, although 

 all will be subject to one grand system of 

 operations. To submit details now would be 

 unnecessary when the object is to impress 

 principles. 



But yet another aspect of the question is the 

 requisite proportions of tree surface to that 

 under farm crov)s. What f hould it be ? This is just 

 one of the things that we do not know and that 

 we are not likely ever to know as a point for 

 general practical guidance. When I had the 

 honor of ad^^ressing the British Science Associa- 

 tion, at Dundee, in 1807, and at Norwich,in 

 1868, upon the claims of arboriculture as a 

 science they knew little upon this point in a 



