*76 Canadian Record of Science. 



found over a very extensive district to the north-west of 

 Lake Superior, it was very thinly scattered, of smaller 

 size, and poorer quality than further south. Our principal 

 reserves of white pine, as yet almost untouched, are to be 

 found in the region around Lake Temiscaming, and thence 

 westward to the eastern shore of Lake Superior. This tract 

 lies partly to the north of the heightof-land. There is 

 also more or less red pine in the district referred to. . The 

 newly constructed Canadian Pacific Railway between Lake 

 Nipissing and Lake Superior has afforded a means of access 

 to the centre of this great pine region, which could not so 

 well be reached by any of the rivers. Lumbering operations 

 have already begun near the railway west of Lake Nipissing, 

 and unless the charges for transport prove too high, the pro- 

 babilities are that hereafter a large amount of timber will be 

 sent out of this district by rail. When the exportable white 

 pine shall have become exhausted, as it must before many 

 more years, we have still vast quantities of spruce and larch, 

 which may even now be regarded as the principal timber 

 available for this purpose in the future. But our stock of 

 these woods is to be found mostly in th e great country which 

 drains into James Bay, whose numerous large rivers afford 

 facilities for floating timber to the sea, and in the country 

 thence westward to Lake Winnipeg. Fine white spruce is 

 likwise found in some localities in the Northwest Terri- 

 tories between the prairie regions and the country of small 

 timber to the north-east. The Banksian pine, which ranges 

 all the way from New Brunswick to Mackenzie River, is often 

 large enough for sawing into deals, and will afford large 

 quantities of good railway ties. 



If the vast northern forests can be preserved from fire in 

 the future, our supply of small timber is practicably inex- 

 haustible. When larger trees elsewhere shall have become 

 scarce, much of it may some day be sawn into boards, scant- 

 ling, joists, rafters, flooring, etc. Supplies of timber for rail- 

 way-ties, telegraph-poles, mines, fencing, piling, small spars, 

 cordwood, charcoal, paper-making, etc., maybe drawn from 

 these immense districts for all time, since the greater part 

 of the regions referred to are not likely to be required for 



