FORESTS AS SITES FOR SANATORIA 29 
improvement in health from forestry work. It is valuable 
as a sedative in excitable cases, and as a stimulant to 
respiration and circulation in those convalescent from acute 
and chronic illnesses. 
All this special work at Hairmyres and on the Camps 
water catchment area will not of course interfere with the 
main objects of the scheme, which is defined as “the con- 
servation and maintenance of the purity of the water supply.” 
The afforestation will have as another object the production 
of timber suitable for the extensive local markets in the 
‘Lanarkshire coal-fields and the city of Glasgow. The work- 
ing plan provides for this object with the minimum disturb- 
ance to sheep-grazing and shooting. No considerations, 
however, of sporting interests or of amenity will influence 
the forest policy, which is to produce the greatest net income 
from timber and wood. 
The Camps water catchment area is situated in Crawford 
Parish, Lanarkshire, and has an extent of 6800 acres, com- 
prising the gathering ground of the Camps and Grains 
streams. This area, with all rights, is the sole property of 
the County Council of Lanarkshire and of the District 
Committee of the Middle Ward of this county. It consists 
of an elevated tableland, at an average elevation of 1500 
feet, composed of rounded hills covered with soil and grass 
or heather. The valleys are deeply cut down to levels of 
800 or 900 feet in places. In the valleys erosion is taking 
place, including the breaking away of peat, thus tending to 
silt up the reservoir and render the water supply impure. 
Probably not more than one-third of the whole area will 
ever be afforested. It is proposed in no case to plant above 
the 1500 feet contour line, the considerable area above this 
line being permanently reserved for grazing and shooting. 
As soon as possible a belt of plantations will be established 
on the sides of the streams and reservoirs. Some land good 
for wintering sheep will be immediately taken up for plant- 
ing; but when the scheme has been established, as soon as 
each block of wintering ground is enclosed, there will be a 
considerable block of forest thrown open to sheep. This 
