AFFORESTATION OF CATCHMENT AREAS 73 
provisions and bye-laws, a considerable number of corpora- 
tions have taken steps to become owners of their own 
watersheds.” In 1903, 102,615 acres were known by 
Parry to have been compulsorily acquired by Act of 
Parliament, a figure considerably increased since that date. 
Manchester was the first corporation to acquire complete 
ownership of a catchment area, namely, that of Thirlmere ; 
but the price paid for the land was exorbitant. The 
acquisition of Thirlmere was much opposed at the time, as 
it was foolishly supposed that the scenery would be 
affected by the necessary waterworks. The pipes and 
conduits are now covered by vegetation. Ruskin, maddened 
to extravagance by the disfigurement of nature by modern 
industrialism, held that as Manchester produced no art, no 
literature, it had taken “to steal and sell for a profit the 
waters of Thirlmere and clouds of Helvellyn.” Birmingham 
has absolute ownership of part of the basin feeding the 
Elan and Claerwen. Liverpool owns all the Vyrnwy 
gathering ground. Leeds in 1896-1897 obtained special 
powers to purchase compulsorily farms on their catchment 
area in the Washburn Valley. Unfortunately on a con- 
siderable number of gathering grounds in Britain habitations 
and farms have not been abolished, chiefly owing to the 
large sums necessary for their purchase by the corporations, 
who in such cases usually own only the reservoirs. 
The question now arises in what way ought catchment 
areas to be utilised, as it is impossible to leave them barren 
and unprofitable. Parry says: “In order to reduce to a 
minimum the risks of polluting the water in a manner 
likely to produce disease, the first object must be to limit 
the resident population to the lowest number reasonably 
practicable. This cannot be accomplished if agricultural 
operations are allowed to be carried on in the ordinary 
way, for no really satisfactory measures can be devised for 
the disposal and treatment of the sewage of resident 
populations of farmers and labourers with their families, 
and the pollutions from shippons and farmyards, so as to 
permit of the effluents being discharged into the watercourses. 
