Forest Conditions. 355 
quality pine has nearly disappeared’’ and that “we 
are within measurable distance of the time when, 
with the exception of spruce as to wood, and of 
British Columbia as to Provinces, Canada shall cease 
to be a wood exporting country.” 
The composition in general is the same as that of the 
northern forest in the United States: hardwoods 
(birch, maple and elm prevailing) with conifers mixed, 
the latter, especially spruce, becoming occasionally 
pure. The nearly pure hardwood forest of the southern 
Ontario peninsula has been almost entirely supplanted 
by farms, and here, even for domestic fuel, coal, 
imported from the United States, is largely substituted 
for wood. Although White Pine, the most important 
staple is found in all parts of this forest region, the best 
and largest supplies are now confined to the region 
north of Georgian Bay. Unopened spruce and fir 
lands still abound especially in Quebec on the Gaspé 
peninsula. Spruce forms also the largest share in the 
composition of the New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and 
Newfoundland forest, the pine in the first two provinces 
having practically been cut out. Extensive, almost 
pure balsam fir forest, fit for pulp wood, still covers 
the plateau of Cape Breton, while Prince Edward’s 
Island is to the extent of 60 percent cleared for agri- 
cultural use. 
Much of this Eastern forest area is not only culled of 
its best timber, but burnt over, and thereby deterio- 
rated in its composition. 
North of the Height of Land, in Ungava and west- 
ward, spruce continues to timber line, but, outside of 
narrow belts following the river valleys, only in open 
