Mr. Dowling says the forest about Red lake “is somewhat varied, spruce and Banksian pine alternating as the dominant trees. On all the dry and sandy ground a thick growth of slender Banksian pine is found, and no trees of large size are apparently to be seen in such areas, but in the valleys and near the lakes black spruce is occasionally met with, forming small groves scattered through the forests of deciduous trees. Individual trees of larger size are common on the islands and points over which forest fires have not run, and such trees may attain in some instances a diameter of twenty inches, but the average is under eighteen inches. Birch and poplar are almost always present wherever the soil admits. On the richer and lower ground, between Red lake and Gull Rock lake, and farther down the river, the poplar trees are well grown and appear in groves in which nearly all trees average eighteen inches in diameter near the base. Farther to the westward on the higher ground, the soil being sandy, the Banksian pine is more abundant, and near the western end of Pipestone bay, some trees of red pine form a small grove, which appears to be the northern limit of the species in this basin.”
Mr. Dowling says the trees near Trout lake river are mostly poplar, with slender spruce on the lower land just behind. Occasionally Banksian pine is seen on the drier parts. Mr. Dowling mentions a tall forest of poplar and birch as bordering the western branch of White-mud river.
Speaking of the country explored by him about Lac Seul, Mr. Dowling says:—“The country is well covered by timber but of small average growth. The sandy tracts are generally wooded by Banksian pine, but in the river-valleys and on the heavier land, poplar, birch and spruce are abundant. White and red pine are found in small groves south of Lac Seul and are of good average size for timber. On the lake are scattered trees of both varieties. The northern limit of red pine extends to Red lake, where a few trees were observed. Cedar of inferior growth occurs in isolated localities and extends northwest to the height-of-land, but none seem within Berens river basin.”
Basins of the Winisk and the Attawapiskat.
According to Mr. McInnes’s report of his survey of the region drained by the Winisk and the Attawapiskat in 1903, 1904 and 1905 (See p. [23]):—“The average size of the trees growing within the country explored is not great. On exceptionally favourable tracts the spruces attain sizes quite large enough for commercial use as sawn lumber, and large areas would afford good pulpwood. Evidences of the constant recurrence of forest fires over the area are everywhere plainly seen. The brulé areas, varying from quite small patches to large tracts, are of every age; some are so old the forest has attained the full height of the old growth and the newer age of the trees can only be ascertained by a reference to their rings of growth, and others so recent that no vegetation covers the blackened surface. These fires are generally the result of the carelessness of Indian travellers, but may sometimes be traced to the igniting of a dry, standing tree-trunk by lightning. The oldest trees found in the whole area were growing on a till-covered island, about fifty miles from the mouth of Winisk river. The complete isolation from the mainland by broad channels ensured its protection from fires having their origin outside its own borders. The spruces growing here were found by their rings of growth to be between two hundred and seventy and two hundred and eighty years old. The diameters and ages of trees, growing in a number of different localities throughout the region, were noted, and are given in the list below:—
| Diam. | Age | ||||
| in in. | by | ||||
| 3 ft. | rings, | ||||
| from | of | ||||
| ground. | growth. | ||||
| -------- | -------- | ||||
| Tamarack, | Winisk river, | 32 miles from mouth | 9 | 100 | |
| Black spruce | " | 32 " | 12 | 125 | |
| " | " | 32 " | 12 | 153 | |
| " | " | 32 " | 8 | 75 | |
| " | " | 50 " | 10 | 275 | |
| " | " | 65 " | near bank | 8 | 130 |
| " | " | 65 " | " | 6 | 115 |
| " | " | 65 " | 10 chains back | 3 | 105 |
| Tamarack | " | 65 " | " | 3 | 80 |
| Black spruce | " | below Wapikopa lake | 10 | 130 | |
| " | " | Wapikopa lake | 9 | 145 | |
| " | " | " | 6 | 135 | |
| " | " | Nibinamik lake | 9 | 75 | |
| " | " | " | 5 | 75 | |
| " | " | above Nibinamik lake | 15 | 130 | |
| Aspen poplar | " | " | 15 | 130 | |
| Note:—It will be observed that this paragraph and other portions of this testimony really refer to the Athabaska country treated of in the preceding chapter; but to save an awkward dislocation of Prof. Macoun’s testimony, it has been kept intact. (E. J. C.) | |||||
As to the region explored by him in 1906 (See p. [23]), Mr. McInnes reports:—“Though a wooded country throughout, there are but limited areas where the forest growth is of a size to be commercially of much value. There are no hard woods, the only deciduous trees that attain merchantable measurements being the canoe birch, the aspen and balsam poplars and the tamarack. Black spruce is the most abundant coniferous tree and grows to a size sufficient at least for pulpwood. Associated with tamarack, it covers all the more marshy tracts, giving way where the land becomes drier to white spruce, which is the timber tree of the region, and on the driest ridges to Banksian pine. Forest fires have been widespread and most destructive throughout the whole region sparing only the very wet muskeg areas and a few tracts isolated by surrounding water or marsh.
“White and black spruce, tamarack, aspen, balsam and canoe birch form the forest surrounding Cross lake, the deciduous trees for the most part growing only in a fringe along the immediate shores.
Trees of Suitable Size for Sawing
into eight and ten inch boards are found on the islands, along the stream valleys and in places near the lake shores, but the general average size of the trees inland is smaller than this.”