THE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND FORESTRY. I 7 



difficulties have to be overcome before the schemes presented 

 can become effective. In many cases the drawbacks of high 

 elevation and poverty of soil are such that, in parts at least of 

 the area, commercial forestry is almost hopeless : in other cases 

 financial conditions, such as the loss of present rentals and 

 reluctance to provide a share of expenditure without return over 

 a long period, hamper the settlement of terms of loan. The 

 Commissioners are in general prepared, if satisfied as to the 

 suitability of a water-catchment area for economic afforestation, 

 either to recommend the Treasury to assist a water authority in 

 carrying out a practical scheme for this purpose by a loan from 

 the Development Fund at 3 per cent, compound interest — the 

 loan not to exceed ^5 per acre afforested, and to be repaid 

 with accumulated interest from the proceeds of the sale of timber 

 grown on the lands aftbrested by means of the loan ; or in the 

 alternative to agree to a profit-sharing arrangement by which in 

 return for loans at the rate of ^^5 per acre the Development 

 Fund would receive a proportion of the price of the produce utilised 

 or sold from the area afforested by means of such advances. 



This latter basis of agreement has been preferred by the Liver- 

 pool City Council, with whom negotiations are furthest advanced. 

 The City Council was informed in February that the Com- 

 missioners were prepared to recommend for the afforestation of,, 

 say, 5000 acres of the Corporation's water-catchment area at 

 Lake Vyrnwy, in Montgomeryshire, advances at the rate of ^5 

 per acre up to a limit of ^25,000, provided that the Corporation 

 would enter into an arrangement for the payment to the 

 Development Fund of the price of one-half of the ultimate 

 timber yield. The Waterworks Committee of the Liverpool City 

 Council have accepted this proposal in principle, and have given 

 instructions for the preparation of a detailed scheme. 



Among other schemes, the Commissioners may mention in 

 particular the application of the Torquay Town Council, on 

 which they have agreed to approve a scheme that would 

 ultimately provide for the planting of about 10,000 acres of 

 Dartmoor ; a proposal of the Bolton Town Council to afforest 

 6000 acres on their catchment areas at Belmont and Entwistle ; 

 and a proposal to afforest parts of the Dundee area at Lintrathen 

 in Forfarshire, which has been inspected by representatives of 

 the Commissioners and reported as suitable for the purpose. 

 The Belfast water-catchment area has also been inspected by 

 representatives of the Commission. A small loan has been 

 made to the Edinburgh and District Water Trust for the 

 experimental planting of about thirty acres on the Edinburgh 

 water-gathering grounds in Peeblesshire ; if the experiment is 

 successful, it will promote the ultimate afforestation of consider- 

 able portions of the area. 



The main conditions which the Commissioners think ought to 

 accompany any advance to a local authority for the purpose of 



VOL. XXVIII. PART I. B 



