282 FORESTS, WOODS, AND TREES 
crop like larch, that would come to maturity in 50 or 60 
years. (2) The Lintrathen area comprises nearly 21,000 
acres at different elevations, as follows: 
Above 1500 feet elevation . : : . 3,800 acres, 
Between 1250 and 1500 feet. : ‘ 1 OO eee 
= 1000 and 1250 feet. : ‘ 7 ABH OONas 
Below 1000 feet . ; ; : : 18,700 
Total area é . 20,9388 acres. 
It is largely composed of heather and old pasture land 
of little value. About 1000 acres, which include the two 
arable farms that formerly existed on the area, have been 
purchased by the Corporation. Of this, about 200 acres 
have been planted with larch, spruce, Scots pine, and 
Douglas fir; while the rest is either let for sheep grazing 
or is laid down in grass. The abolition of the arable land 
ensures to a considerable extent the purity of the water 
drawn from the Lintrathen reservoir, which is not filtered ; 
but in the opinion of Mr. Geo. Baxter, the engineer in 
charge, a larger measure of afforestation would be desirable. 
See p. 82, and 7’rans. Roy. Scot. Arbor. Soc. xxiv. 191 (1911). 
VII. INVERNESS, Ross, AND ABERDEEN COUNTIES 
Gathering grounds, 6843 acres, supplying seven local 
authorities (acreage of Peterhead gathering ground unknown 
and not included). 828 acres owned by three local 
authorities, 
Inverness obtains its water supply from Loch Ashie, 
which has a catchment area of 1335 acres at 610 to 
700 feet elevation. The gathering ground, over which 
the Corporation have no control, consists of moorland and 
hill pasture, one-third of it being formerly covered with 
- plantations, which were cut down about 5 years ago. There 
are now no habitations or farm-steadings on the area. 
The Corporation took over as tenants the solitary croft 
that existed and levelled the buildings, the croft being now 
only used for sheep grazing. The water is passed through 
gravel and copper screens. G. West, in his account of 
