TYPES OF FOREST GROWTH. 181 



and balsam fir prevail and become the great pulpwood district of 

 Eastern Canada. 



On entering the St. Lawrence basin the type changes into forests 

 of white pine, red pine, cedar and valuable hardwoods, such as 

 yellow birch and maple. In the maritime provinces and Quebec 

 the red spruce is a conspicuous component part of the coniferous 

 forest. This is the most important timber producing part of 

 Eastern Canada. 



The southern part of Ontario was originally an almost pure 

 hardwood forest, which has now given way to agriculture. 

 Certain species are still found along the northern shores of Lakes 

 Erie and Ontario, which do not occur elsewhere in Canada, such 

 as the tulip tree, sycamore, chestnut and black walnut ; 

 Cottonwood also appears here. 



3. The Produce of the Forests. 



The principal products of the Canadian forests are sawn lumber 

 and pulpwood. At least 130 species reach timber size, of which 

 about 70 are sawn into lumber. The conifers are by far the most 

 important trees, while the broad-leaved trees give only about 

 3 per cent, of the produced lumber. Other products are railway 

 sleepers, poles, piles, mining timber, fencing material, firewood, 

 wood for distillation, tanning bark, maple sugar and syrup, 

 balsam, spruce gum, nuts, and other items. 



The trees mentioned in the following notes are arranged 

 according to their importance as sources of the various products : — 



Spruces, 6 species, of which 5 are of commercial value. 



(1) White Spruce {Picea canadensis), of moderate size, 



appears in every province, important as timber and 

 pulpwood. 



(2) Sitka Spruce (P. Sitchensis), a very large tree, confined 



to low altitudes along the coast of British Columbia, 

 valued for airplane construction and for pulpwood. 



(3) Red Spruce (P. rubra), of moderate size, confined to eastern 



Quebec and the maritime provinces, lumber and pulp- 

 wood. 



(4) Engelmann Spruce (P. Engelmanni), a larger tree than the 



white and red spruces, but smaller than Sitka, found in 

 British Columbia, used for lumber but not yet for pulp. 



