The Unexploited West: A Compilation of all of the authentic information available at the present time as to the Natural Resources of the Unexploited Regions of Northern CanadaChambers, Ernest J.
History
The Unexploited West: A Compilation of all of the authentic information available at the present time as to the Natural Resources of the Unexploited Regions of Northern Canada
Chambers, Ernest J.
Canada -- Economic conditions; Northwest, Canadian -- Economic conditions
has suffered greatly from forest fires at many different times, from
about a century ago to the present year. Parts of the main shores and
many of the islands, especially in the neighborhood of the Grand
Traverse, have escaped the fires, and here full-sized timber may be
seen. The second growth woods are of all ages, from seedlings of a year
ago, up to trees nearly as large as those of the original forests. As
elsewhere in these latitudes, where the old forests of spruce, tamarack,
balsam, white birch, etc., have been burnt, they are succeeded by a
growth of mixed aspens and white birch, with a sprinkling of spruce, or
else by one consisting entirely of Banksian pine. In regard to relative
abundance, the trees found around the lake may be mentioned in the
following order:—white and black spruce, tamarack, aspen, white birch,
Banksian pine, rough-barked poplar, balsam, white cedar, pigeon cherry,
rowan and black ash. The ground or mountain maple (_Acer spicatum_),
which is interesting as an indicator of climate, is common, and it was
traced for a long distance down the Albany. Of the above kinds of
timber, the white spruce and the tamarack are the most important
commercially. The cedar is confined chiefly to the immediate shores of
the lake, where it often forms a continuous but narrow border. About
twenty spruce logs, for sawing into boards, were lying at Osnaburgh
House at the time of our visit. They would average eighteen or twenty
inches in diameter at the butts, the largest being about two feet. The
six largest showed the following number of rings of growth:—one hundred
and thirteen, ninety-seven, one hundred and twenty-one, one hundred and
sixteen, one hundred and seven, and one hundred and twenty, or an
average of one hundred and twelve, these rings indicating, it is
supposed, a corresponding number of years. A new tamarack flag-staff,
which was about to be erected, measured about eighteen inches in
diameter at the butt and showed two hundred and forty-four rings of
growth.”
Doctor Bell reports that on the dry ground along Boulder river the
timber consists of black spruce, tamarack, balsam, aspen and white
birch, but on the wet, level tracts, it was principally black spruce.
All the rapids in Boulder river were overhung by thick groves of
good-sized white cedar, and the same tree was met with in groups in some
of the swamps at a distance from the river.
Doctor Bell, reporting on the country around Lake Lansdowne,
says:—“Except where forest fires have run, large spruce and tamarack
trees and some cedars were observed on the islands and on the mainland
near the lake, and also along the river between it and Nolin island.”
Doctor Bell writes in his report that
ALONG THE ATTAWAPISKAT,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account