452 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
FOREST CONDITIONS IN NEW BRUNSWICK. 
In the Province of New Brunswick we classify forest fires as 
of two kinds: Forest fires which start in the month of May are 
known as “leaf fires” and fires which start in. the latter part of 
June and July (occasionally in August and even as late as 
September) and are known, as “soil fires.” The leaf fires are 
caused by the carelessness of fishermen leaving fires in the woods, 
matches or cigar stubs carelessly thrown aside, and then the sparks 
from locomotives. These leaf fires kill the woods but do not 
destroy the soil. A nurse crop of grey birch generally springs up 
the following year; in a few years there is a good growth and in 
30 years a good forest from nature’s seeding. On the other hand, 
soil fires not only destroy the forest by burning the soil (in some 
cases to a depth of two feet), and leave the trees without any 
support so that they are soon blown down or fall over of them- 
selves. After such a fire as this any scheme of reforestration is 
entirely impractical for hundreds of years, or until such time as 
the small bushes known as “hardtack” can collect sufficient leaves 
to form a forest mulch in which seedlings can get a start. 
Practical ideas for reforestration in this Province are based 
principally upon the protection of our forests from the fires spoken 
of and confining our operators to the cut of nothing but merchant- 
able logs, (that is logs not exceeding 16 feet in length and 9 inches 
in diameter) and the protection of seedling and sapling trees 
amongst the forest growth. The importance of this protection 
has in many cases been absolutely and needlessly overlooked 
and many saplings have been and are being wantonly cut down 
and destroyed for some imaginary purpose by the axeman. It 
is well known that where the soil is not destroyed by fire, nature 
will supply us with a nurse crop of seedlings more quickly than 
any scheme ol reforestration yet devised. If, however, the soil 
is severely burned, the fire-swept territory is practically beyo.nd 
redemption. — Extract from address of Hon. W. C. H. Grimmer, 
Surveyor General of N. B., before Canadian Forest Convention. 
Toronto. 
