FOREST RESERVE EXTENSION 151 



SO that those reserves form one of the most important watershed? 

 in the Province of Manitoba. 



Province of Saskatchewan 



Fort a La Come. — ^This is a tract of some 513 square miles 

 lying along the Saskatchewan river, both on the north and south 

 sides, in the vicinity of Fort a La Come. At this point there is a row 

 of sand ridges interspersed with muskeg which carries a stand of jack 

 pine with some spruce. This sand ridge runs along the north side of 

 the river and continues in a north-easterly direction for a considerable 

 distance beyond the point where the inspection has been made. The 

 soil is a light sand and is absolutely non-agricultural land. It is not of 

 any value for any other purpose than timber growing. It has been 

 cut over for ties and other purposes and the timber at the present time 

 is not of great value, but the reproduction of jack pine is good, and it 

 should be a very important timber tract in the future. 



Pines Forest Reserve. — This is a sandy tract of land Ijang south 

 of the Saskatchewan river, a short distance south-west of Prince 

 Albert. The land is sandy except for a large muskeg which runs through 

 the centre of it. The sand lands are timbered more or less with jack 

 pine, although the cutting of ties and other timber, which was done 

 very wastefully on this reserve, was followed by destructive fires 

 which have left but little timber in some parts of it. At points where the 

 fires have not reached, however, the reproduction of jack pine is good ; 

 and on the lower parts spruce and tamarack are found ; and there 

 is considerable yovmg groisrth coming on. This is one of the most 

 important reserves on accotmt of its vicinity to an extensive prairie 

 country, which is not extensively wooded, and on account of its being in 

 the vicinity of the city of Prince Albert. It is proposed to add 73.15 

 square miles of similar sand lands on the edge of the reserve. 



Nisbet Forest Reserve.— This is an extension of the same sand 

 area included in the Pines Forest Reserve. This sandy tract 

 crosses the Saskatchewan river at the north-west comer of the Pines 

 reserve and then, turning in an easterly direction, follows the north 

 branch of the river to a point a little to the east of Prince Albert. This 

 land is all a very light sand which wotild become drifting sand hills 

 if it were opened up to grazing or agricultiure, and the only possibility 

 of getting permanent value from it and at the same time preventing 

 the danger of drifting sand is to keep it under timber and to handle 

 the timber in such a way as to keep a forest cover regularly over the 

 area. This tract was cut over for ties, and some parts of it are being 

 cut over for firewood. As a consequence the timber of large size has 

 all been taken out. There is however, a splendid reproduction of young 



