266 Afforestation of Catchment Areas, [july, 



hand, the work has been taken up seriously, and planting is 

 being done on a systematic plan. 



Leeds. — The catchment area of the Leeds Corporation is 

 situated in the Washburn Valley, and extends to over 11,700 

 acres, varying from 350 ft. to 1,550 ft. above sea-level, and 

 lying on the Millstone Grit overlaid with Boulder Clay. The 

 work of afforestation was begun here with a view to give 

 work to the unemployed, and has been carried out for three 

 seasons with men drawn from the Unemployed Bureau, 

 assisted by a few permanent men. In 1908-9, however, a 

 permanent staff was engaged, though planting by the "un- 

 employed" is to be continued. In all 514 acres have been 

 planted, and a further 141 acres are being planted this season 

 (1908-9), 115 acres by the unemployed and 26 acres by the 

 staff. 



The average cost for the three seasons for preparing the 

 land, draining, fencing, and planting, including expenditure 

 on the nursery, was £1 1 19s. $d. per acre, but the Water- 

 works Engineer, Mr. C. G. Henzell, observes that the cost 

 of planting should not have been more than £7 10s. to 

 £8 10s. per acre, the excess being due to the employment of 

 inexperienced men. 



Much of the work was badly done, and the failures have 

 been quite 30 per cent. The men were not accustomed to 

 spade-work, and few were able to stand the rough weather. 



The permanent staff are now engaged in replanting the 

 gaps caused by dead trees in the existing plantations, the 

 number of trees requiring to be replaced being 551,000. 



The planting has been done with Beech, Ash, Oak, Alder, 

 Sycamore, Scotch Pine, Spruce, and Larch. The Larch has 

 not been at all successful, and more than 30 per cent, of the 

 plants are dead. The Scotch Pine and the hardwoods have 

 done very well, but the Spruce has not been so satisfactory. 

 No insect pests have been noticed except a slight attack of 

 Larch Aphis (Chermes laricis) . 



Mr. Henzell, in his Report to the Corporation for 1908, 

 observed that the work of afforesting the drainage area was 

 of great importance, and suggested that 100-150 acres should 

 be planted annually. To do this it was estimated that a per- 

 manent staff of ten men, used to spade-work and experienced 



