468 APPENDIX. 



similar to our interior Alaskan forest, in open stand and 

 groves of greater or less extent, are scattered across the 

 continent. 



With only a small population, somewhat over 5 millions, on 

 an immense area, 3,654,000 square miles, the availability of 

 large parts of which are still unknown and only 75 millions 

 of acres occupied, Canada has drawn on her immense forest 

 resource mainly for export to Great Britain and the United 

 States and a few other wood consumers, but the two first- 

 mentioned countries dividing the bulk in nearly equal shares. 

 The amount of exports is, however, not as large as we would 

 be led to believe from the frequent references to Canada's 

 position as an exporter of wood, for the values of forest and 

 mill products seem not to exceed $30,000,000, to which about 

 3 millions more of wood manufactures is to be added, the 

 range of exports for the last ten years having been from 

 $25,000,000 to $35,000,000, which is reduced by about 

 $3,500,000 of imports. This represents a per capita export of 

 about 140 cubic feet. It would appear that the United States 

 exports on the whole more forest product than Canada, against 

 whom she maintains a suicidal wood tariff. 



The great value of Canadian forests was early recognized, 

 and even during the French regime reservations were made 

 to protect the supply of oak suitable for shipbuilding, and in 

 1763, when the English took possession, a more organized 

 system was established to accomplish the same object; a cer- _ 

 tain area being set aside in each township, where cutting was 

 prohibited except by the contractors for the many yards. 

 Again, in 1775, the home government ordered the setting aside 

 of large tracts of pine-bearing land. Under this system the 

 navy yard contractors had practically a monopoly, and the 

 colonial government received no revenue from its forests. In 

 1826 in Upper Canada a measure was passed permitting any 

 one to cut timber on the ungranted lands by the payment of a 

 fixed scale of rate to the Crown, and it is interesting to note 

 that already there was an attempt made to perpetuate the 



