INTEODUCTION 



The economists and practical agriculturists of our 

 province have for a long time been sorely disturbed by 

 the injuries to which our superb forests nave been sub- 

 jected. Not a year passes without our having to deplore 

 the loss of miles upon miles of woodlands, containing 

 thousands of the finest trees, losses caused, for the most 

 part, by the carelessness of settlers and men in purs ait 

 of game, who seem to think that the fires they light for 

 the preparation of food, &c., will extinguish themselves. 

 Again, the purchasers of timber-limits devote themselves 

 entirely to procuring the greatest possible quantity of 

 lumber, without troubling themselves in the least about 

 the future. Everything is made serviceable to them, or 

 if anything is unsdrviceable, it is supposed to be injurious 

 and for that reason is swept away. 



Alarmed at such a state of things, and observing at 

 the same time how large a proportion of our territory is 

 already denuded of its wood, a few large-minded men 

 united, last September, and founded a Forestry Asso- 

 ciation, the object of which is to promote the preservation 

 and the replanting of the old forests of our province, as 

 well as the creation of new ones. 



The first step, then, in the right direction has been 

 takeii. Our onward march must be energetic, and all 

 the necessary means must be employed to follow out 

 the programme of the association ; and to this end, the 

 members of the council and of the general committee of 

 the society must set the example, and work with all 

 their hearts to make as many active proselytes as pos- 

 sible in all parts of the country. 



As a member of the general committee, I have thought 

 it my duty to compile the little book which I now 

 present to my readers, in order to aid those who wish to 



