AFFORESTATION OF CATCHMENT AREAS 89 
part let to tenants, is mostly occupied by sheep, but the 
farms are gradually being acquired as the tenancies expire ; 
and ultimately there will be no houses on the watershed, 
and nothing but forest around the lake and rivers. 
When the Corporation bought the land, there were 
170 acres of old woods on the Vyrnwy area. Planting 
operations on commercial principles were commenced in 
1897, in accordance with a report and plan made by 
Prof. W. R. Fisher in the preceding year. By April 1903 
there were over 600 acres of old and new plantations. A 
saw-mill was erected, and nurseries were established, which 
enabled the subsequent planting to be carried out at a more 
rapid rate. The total area of the plantations made up to 
October 1918 was 1383 acres, situated between 825 and 
1500 feet elevation, no less than 3,600,000 young trees 
having been employed, all of which are growing splendidly. 
The main species used have been larch, Douglas fir, spruce, 
silver fir, Scots pine, Corsican pine, and beech, with some 
ash, sycamore, oak, and alder. The larch and Douglas fir 
show remarkable vigour of growth at the present time; 
and ultimately there will be a magnificent forest of 5000 
acres around Lake Vyrnwy. 
On 18th August 1914 an agreement was come to 
between the Treasury and the Corporation, on lines laid 
down by the Development Commissioners, for the afforesta- 
tion of 5000 acres on the Vyrnwy area. The Treasury 
were to advance to the Corporation from the Development 
Fund on loan £5 per acre, as required for planting, up to 
a limit of £25,000; while the Corporation were to pay to 
the Development Fund the price of one-half of the produce 
utilised or sold from the area afforested by means of the 
loan, such payment to be made as and when the produce is 
utilised or sold. 
Mr. Parry, in a paper read at the annual meeting of the 
British Waterworks Association, 4th October 1918, says: 
“Under the agreement, as ultimately settled, the 
Corporation have undertaken to plant an area of 4000 acres 
around Lake Vyrnwy, in blocks of approximately 200 acres 
