FOKESTS AS SITES FOE SANATOEIA 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 tlie 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-graziug 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 



