134 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



upon the representations of the County Council of the County of Hast- 

 ings. The Act is general in its nature and provides under certain 

 conditions for the passage of by-laws by the municipal council of any 

 County for acquiring by ptu-chase, lease or otherwise, lands determined 

 suitable for reforestation purposes. Provision is also made for forest 

 planting and for preserving and protecting the timber on such lands. 

 Authority is also granted for the issuance of debentures for the purchase 

 of such lands to an amount not exceeding $25,000.00 to be owing at 

 any one time. 



Under this Act the County Council of Hastings county has 

 through its forestry committee secured the purchase of 2,200 acres 

 of cut-over lands in Grimthorpe township at the rate of 17c. per acre, 

 for non-payment of taxes. The purchase of additional areas of cut- 

 over lands is contemplated. Fire protection and natural re-stocking 

 from remaining seed trees will, for the present at least, form the principal 

 features of the forestry policy of the County in handling these lands. 

 It is, however, probable, that planting will become practicable at some 

 later date. The Council of Peterborough county has more recently 

 established a forestry committee to consider action along lines similar 

 to that taken in Hastings county. 



Forest Planting in Quebec 



I. By the Provincial Government* 



The Department of Lands and Forests has since 1908 conducted 

 a nursery at Berthierville, where on a farm belonging to the Depart- 

 ment 30 acres is devoted to forestry purposes. Of this, 23 acres is in 

 woodland, and 3 in nursery. This tract is used also in furnishing 

 instruction on planting operations to the students of the Forestry 

 Department at Laval University. 



The Berthierville nursery is intended to fiuTiish the plants required 

 for the reforestation of 15,000 acres of moving sands in Argenteuil 

 county, which have been denuded by reckless lumbering, and which 

 have so deteriorated that they threaten the total destruction of a number 

 of valuable farms in the neighbourhood. 



The Department has purchased from several farmers at Lachute 

 about 350 acres of shifting sands at a cost of $1.00 per acre, with the 

 agreement that the former owners may within 1 5 years repurchase their 



*Prepared from Report of the Minister of Lands and Forests, and from state- 

 ments by Mr. G. C. Pioh^, Fqre^ter tq the Departnient. 



