Thursday, April 6, 1967

Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald: There was none left, Sir, it was all blown away. (Laughter) Because of the increased demand for planting stock the following seed beds were prepared and sown with the following seeds. The seed beds were about twenty-four feet by four feet and there are five beds of Scotch Pine, five of White Pine, five beds of Austrian Pine — those are seedlings as most of you are aware -— little shoots springs from this and they eventually transplant again and they go out to various places to be planted and sold for reforestation.

Walter R. Shaw: What time of the year were those planted?

Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald: Last fall, Sir. Douglas Fir, three beds; Balsam Fir, seven beds; White Pine, five beds; Austrian, eight; White Spruce, eight; Balsam Fir, seven; Hemlock, one; and White Ash one. Anyone who wants to get White Spruce there is going to be 66,000 plants available. Norway Spruce, 69,000; Red Spruce, 12.000: White Pine, 36,000; Douglas Fir, 32,000; Balsam Fir, 38,000; Austrian Pine, 205,000; It seems people must have a liking for Austrian Pine; that is an awful lot of trees.

J. David Stewart: The most rugged of the lot! Honourable Daniel J. MacDonaldz' Yes.

Now for fires; the breakdowns are as follows: in Kings County, seventeen fires; Prince, twenty; and Queens, twenty-five.

Some Member: Forest fires? Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald: Yes.

Centennial Projects of planting ten trees. One to represent each province by some of the larger schools or High Schools was continued during last spring. This program will end during Canada’s Centennial Year, 1967. Approximately twenty-five days were spent last summer at various camps throughout the province giving in- structions on forestry management, tree identification, fire prevention and control, planting, the use of the saw and the axe, and the use of the compass and. . . .

Well now, Mr. Speaker, I think I will conclude. There were a few more things possibly I thought I might bring up. I have almost covered the Department. I have not made any mention of the Women’s Institute which of course is not a very good thing to leave out so I will make reference to the Women’s Institute in this respect. 0n assuming office we had no Home Economist as Director of Women’s Institutes. We tried very hard to get one and according to the previous government they had also done this, but it could not be done. We were able to procure a part-time Director and she is doing a wonderful job and we also were able to procure the services of a young girl, a graduate to go out on this van work. The women of the province were quite happy to be able to obtain the services of those two ladies, so the Women’s Institute is on the march once more and there is every indication that we are going to be able to procure two home economists for the coming year then we will have our staff up to the requirements, and as I said before, the women of the province will be very happy and I guess the men will be too.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I conclude, and I thank you all for your attention. The Department of Agriculture report, as you lmow, is not overly amusing but is has interesting facts in it and it is something that we have to have in this province. Agriculture is the economic backbone of our province, and I will have something to say on the Budget Debate with regard to the requirements for the coming year.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you. (Applause). J. David Stewart (6th Queens):

Mr. Speaker, may I first extend to you, Sir, my congratulations on your ap- pointment to high office, presiding officer over this historic legislative body. I think it is most appropriate that one, such as yourself, a descendant of one of the founding uces of this Province should be presiding over this body in Centennial year. I wish

you luck and success in the years ahead, but I might suggest, Sir, that I think you —141—