AFFORESTATION OF WATER CATCHMENT AREAS. I 93 



or afforestation by Local Authorities, under which such land 

 may be obtained at something like its market value, instead 

 of the present system through the operation of which com- 

 munities are called upon to pay high prices. 



We in Dundee can only deal with the matter in a very 

 limited measure meantime. The Water Commissioners have 

 a 99 years' lease of 500 acres of the Crombie Drainage Area. 

 If this land is ultimately purchased outright by the Commissioners, 

 a scheme of tree-planting should be considered seriously, because 

 although the land is laid down in grass it will revert to moor- 

 land after a few years. Even under the 99 years' lease, probably 

 one-fourth of the land could be profitably planted with fir and 

 larch. 



Mr Robertson, factor for Lord Dalhousie, kindly gave me 

 the assistance of Mr Davidson, head forester at Panmure. 

 Mr Davidson, after very careful examination, has given me 

 details of how he would deal with the area, and I have drawn 

 up an estimate of the cost of planting both at Crombie and 

 Lintrathen. The 500 acres at Crombie would cost as near 

 as may be ^^3250. If this sum were placed to capital account, 

 the annual charge out of revenue would be — for interest and 

 sinking fund, ^146, and for loss of rent, ^349, making a total 

 annual charge of ;^495. Would it be prudent to charge work 

 of this character, when executed in a piecemeal fashion over 

 small areas, to capital account? I think not. It will be unre- 

 munerative for at least a generation, and even although posterity 

 reap the whole profit, I believe that such highly speculative 

 operations should be met right away out of revenue. 



Conclusions and Recommendations. 



(i) The afforestation of a large watershed, such as the 

 19,000 acres at Lintrathen, should only be dealt with by an 

 expert in forestry. 



(2) The lease of Wedderwells farm, which extends to 

 55 acres, should be terminated, and the whole farm gradually 

 planted out. 



(3) The lease of Fallaws has already been dealt with in 

 minute of date 25th October last. The moorland on this farm 

 should be planted out at the expiry of the lease, and the 

 other fields as they revert to moorland, which will not be for 

 some years. 



