15 
extent of the Province, the relative percentage of wooded lands 
of commercial value is strikingly small. 
As an approximate estimate of the total possible yield of 
merchantable timber for the whole of the Province, including 
Vancouver and the coast islands, I venture to state, that at the 
present time, it is under 400 billion feet, and probably does not 
exceed 300 billion feet. 
When we take into consideration the annual destruction 
by fire, the large percentage of scrubby timber, and the quan- 
tity growing in inaccessible localities, we shall find that the 
actual yield, as a commercial asset, will be greatly below what 
is generally supposed. 
Vancouver Island is very well clothed with forest trees, 
but the great interior of British Columbia contains millions 
of acres, which are practically treeless. 
The great saw mills at Vancouver have to depend to a large 
extent upon Vancouver Island for most of their timber. The 
mainland coast-line from Burrard’s Inlet to the Portland Canal, 
is geologically a great granitic batholith, presenting with its 
bare, precipitous mountain sides, very little surface suitable 
for tree growth. S'o that, notwithstanding the extensive shore- 
line, the possible yield of timber will be very small indeed. 
I have seen some very mis-leading statements regarding 
the possible yield of timber on the Queen Charlotte Islands. 
The islands are well clothed with forest trees (comprising 
Red Cedar, Spruce, Hemlock and Yellow Cedar), but a con- 
siderable percentage is scrubby — which also applies to the 
whole coast line. 
The great north land of British Columbia is very sparsely 
timbered, even in the valleys the timber is small and only fit 
for local purposes. So that the extent of our merchantable 
timber is confined to a very limited area in comparison to the 
total acreage of the Province. 
In such a land of plenty, it is difficult for the average 
layman to realize that there is anything of a serious character, 
in the appeals for conservation which have lately received so 
much attention. 
