22 TRANSACTIONS OF KOYAI, SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



between the Development Fund and the Parliamentary Vote. 



It seemed not improbable that similar difficulties of adminis- 

 tration might arise in connection with other forestry areas in 

 Ireland ; and that much future inconvenience might be saved 

 if arrangements for dealing with such cases were settled 

 immediately by a conference of the Departments interested. 



A conference was accordingly arranged, and took place on the 

 27th November, between representatives of the Department of 

 Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, the Estates 

 Commissioners of the Irish Land Commission, and the 

 Development Commissioners. In the result the Development 

 Commissioners agreed to defray from the Development Fund 

 the whole cost of administration of forestry centres, whether 

 acquired by means of the Fund or from the Parliamentary Votes. 



The conference also considered the case of the smaller wooded 

 plantations left on the hands of the Estates Commissioners, 

 which the Irish Department are not disposed to purchase, on the 

 ground that they are too small for purposes of commercial 

 forestry. It was agreed that a scheme should be prepared 

 jointly by the Department and the Estates Commissioners with 

 a view to such woodlands being acquired by the County 

 Councils concerned, on the understanding that the Development 

 Commissioners, in accordance with a promise already given by 

 them to the Irish Department, would be prepared to consider 

 the question of recommending grants for maintenance. 



The following month the first application arising out of the 

 conference reached the Commissioners. It referred to the 

 Baunreagh area of about 2000 acres on the Slievebloom range, 

 which adjoins another area already acquired out of the 

 Development Fund. The Commissioners recommended that 

 the Department should be authorised to expend, out of the 

 advance of ^25,000 sanctioned in November igio for the 

 acquisition of afforestable areas, the sum of ^4111, 7s. in 

 order to redeem the annuity now payable to the Irish Land 

 Commission in respect to the Baunreagh area. They suggested 

 at the same time that the Irish Department should be requested 

 to utilise the amount thus set free from the Parliamentary Vote 

 in the acquisition from the Estates Commissioners of such small 

 isolated woodlands as it may be desirable to maintain, although 

 they may not be adaptable to the purposes of commercial 

 forestry. 



One of the conditions attaching to the grants for the purchase 

 of afforestable land in Ireland is that a working-plan shall be 

 prepared for each area, prescribing for its treatment over the 

 whole period necessary for its development, and shall be sub- 

 mitted for the consideration of the Commissioners at the time 

 when application is made for further funds required for planting. 

 The first working-plan reached the Commissioners in January, 

 and related to the Ballyhoura area, in County Cork. The 



