172 FORESTS, WOODS, AND TEEES 



Parliamentary Eeturn, to uncultivated ground ; on the con- 

 trary, a good many consist of arable land, with dwelling- 

 houses and farm steadings. 



I. CUMBEELAND AND WESTMORLAND 



Ten local authorities obtain their water supply from 

 gathering grounds aggregating 49,959 acres in these two 

 counties. Four corporations own 11,484 acres, of which 

 no less than 11,000 acres belong to Manchester. No plant- 

 ing has been done by any of the local authorities except 

 Manchester. Mr. J. Smith Hill writes that " the water 

 catchment areas in the Lake District could be afforested to 

 a certain extent. There are existing plantations here and 

 there on the hill slopes to the various lakes ; but the land 

 is generally owned by many proprietors, and would be trouble- 

 some to acquire on account of the sheep industry. There 

 are often rights of pasturage, called ' stints,' on the fells 

 attached to each farm lower down, so that afforestation on 

 an extensive scale would be a difficult matter, as the rights 

 would have to be bought out, and there would be many 

 people to deal with. The purchase of Thirlraere, where 

 there was only one owner, was very costly to Manchester." 



Thirlmere catchment area of 11,000 acres, owned by 

 Manchester Corporation, with a good afforestation scheme, 

 is fully described on pp. 95-98. 



Carlisle obtains its water supply from Geltsdale, an area 

 of 7000 acres, of which 4000 acres are above 1500 feet 

 elevation, 1500 acres between 1250 and 1500 feet, 1000 

 acres between 1000 and 1250 feet, and 500 acres under 

 1000 feet. The area, which is all grazing land, is not 

 owned by the Corporation, and no scheme for planting trees 

 has been contemplated. 



Aspatria, Silloth, and District Joint Water Board obtain 

 their supply from an area of 2251 acres at 620 to 2000 

 feet altitude, in the parishes of Ireby High, Ireby Low, and 

 Uldale, at the head waters of the river Ellen, on the north 



