“Aspen:—(‘Trembling-leaved Poplar’)—This tree, which is so abundant and of such a thrifty growth around the southern part of James bay and on the border of the prairie regions of the Northwest territories, does not extend as far north as York Factory. In ascending Nelson river it was not met until within a few miles of lowest Limestone rapid. It extends northward nearly to the junction of Little Churchill with Great Churchill river.

“White Birch:—(‘Canoe Birch’)—This species terminates on Hayes river, a few miles below Steel river. On the Nelson, the first tree was met with at seven miles before coming to lowest Limestone rapid, or at seventy from Point of Marsh. In descending the Little Churchill it disappeared about midway between Recluse lakes and the mouth, and in ascending the Great Churchill, it disappeared at eighteen miles above the forks. Along Burntwood river and the upper part of the Nelson it is large enough for building canoes, but becomes better for this purpose to the northwestward, and it is said to be of very good quality around Lake Athabaska.”

Doctor Bell states in his 1886 report (See p. [18]):—“The timber all

Around Lake St. Joseph

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,

“except where the timber has been destroyed by fire, there is a good growth of spruce, tamarack, balsam, poplar and white birch, but it does not extend far back, the country generally being open sphagnum swamps with small scattered tamarack and black spruce trees.”