AFFORESTATION OF CATCHMENT AREAS. 25 



decided to commence planting this area in tlie year 1904, and 

 the work is now proceeding at the rate of between one and two 

 hundred acres per annum. 



The following general statement has been prepared by the 

 forester (Mr M'Beath) : — 



The land planted on the Rivington watershed is nearly all, in 

 the northern part, in the parishes of Tockholes and Withnell, and 

 extends to 420 acres. This land was formerly let as grazing 

 land. The soil varies from peat to a peaty loam and stiff clay. 

 In places it overlies the Millstone Grit, and it varies in depth from 

 a few inches to 2 feet or more. About 200 acres of these lands 

 form the sides of the Roddlesworth Valley, covering well-drained 

 slopes facing S.VV. to W. and N.E. to N. About 42 acres of this 

 were pit-planted. Casual labour was employed from the village, 

 and pits were opened by contract at is. 8d. per 100; a few good 

 workmen earned 5s. per day, while many others did not earn 2s.; 

 3000 pits were opened to the acre, and 4-year-old plants, beech 

 oak, ash, sycamore, and spruce were put in. The spruce were 

 planted along the sides of the plantations next the reservoirs, 

 to prevent leaves from blowing into the water, at a cost of 

 ;^8, 5s. per acre, including enclosing and purchase of plants. 



An area of 156 acres was notch-planted with 2-year seedlings 

 of the same species, and the cost per acre, including purchase 

 of plants, was ^2^ iis. The workmen employed on this 

 plantation were young men and boys trained in forest work. 

 Another area of 36 acres was notch-planted, and the turf was 

 skimmed off 14 inches square before notching to prevent the 

 grass from smothering the plants. Turfs were taken off by 

 contract at 7d. per 100. The cost per acre was about ^3 

 inclusive. A portion of high-lying moorland, covering 186 acres, 

 was planted with spruce and beech at a cost of jQt^, ios. per 

 acre, including fencing. These plantations vary in height from 

 550 feet to 900 feet above sea-level, and are all exposed to strong 

 winds. At the commencement of the work the planting was 

 done mostly during the autumn and early spring, but from 

 experience gained on the ground it has been found that late 

 spring planting gives much better results. During the first two 

 years all the plants were purchased, but they have to a large 

 extent been since replaced with plants from the Corporation 

 nurseries. Of the beech that were purchased, very few are now 

 alive. The cost of filling vacancies in the first year's work with 



