LUMBER INDUSTRY. From an early day the forests of Canada have been one of her main sources of wealth and the making of lumber has been a leading factor in the industrial life of the people. In the eastern provinces the trees have been cut from large sections of the country. in eluding almost the whole of Ontario south of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Formerly little at tention was given to judicious cutting, and the approach of the lumberman meant the destruc tion of the forest. Present laws furnish partial protection. Worse than the onslaughts of the lumbermen has been the destruction by fires, but an effort is now being made to guard against that also; nevertheless. some of the most valuable varieties of forest trees—notably the white pine —stand in danger of extermination. Owing to the very limited market in the \Vest, the fine for ests of Douglas fir and other useful trees are but little worked. The great forests of the country are Government property, and a large revenue is obtained therefrom. (See Finance.) The lum
berman must first buy at auction a license to cut, after which lie pays an annual rent, on the ground and a royalty on the timber cut. Winter is the cutting season, when the snow affords means of transporting the logs to the streams, and the amount of the •inter's yield is therefore dependent upon the duration of the snow. In former years the export of timber to English markets was generally in the log, but more re cently mills have been established, and the logs are sawed before shipment. The exports of forest products increased from $26,000,000 in 1890 to $29J313.000 in 1900, the United States and Great Britain taking about equal quantities. Most of the product from the Great Lake region goes to the United States, while that from the Saint Lawrence •nd Maritime Provinces goes to Europe. White pine and spruce are the most important varieties.