AFFORESTING AND THE UNEMPLOYED 



Carnarvonshire, North AVales, by unemployed 

 labour may be valuable to others who have 

 the arranging and carrying out of extensive 

 schemes of tree-planting, as proposed by the 

 State. 



During the strike of workmen at the Pen- 

 rhyn Slate Quarries the idea occurred to the 

 late Lord Penrhyn to afford suitable employ- 

 ment to a number of the men by planting up 

 a considerable area of ground on an exposed 

 spur, of the Snowdon range of hills. One 

 wood -in particular that was formed under the 

 supervision of the writer by unemployed 

 labour is now an object-lesson, not only in 

 what can be done in the planting of compara- 

 tively waste mountain land, but also by unini- 

 tiated workmen when placed under proper 

 supervision. The plantation referred to ex- 

 tended for a considerable distance along the 

 hill-side, ranged in altitudes from 500 to up- 

 wards of 600 feet, and was fully exposed to 

 the long and hard-hitting winds blowing in 

 from the Irish Sea. Previous to planting, 

 this ground, with hundreds of acres of the 

 adjoining hill-sides, were rented by the ad- 



127 



