1909.] Afforestation of Catchment Areas. 267 



in planting, would be needed, together with six additional 

 men in the planting season, to be drawn from among the 

 small tenants on the estate. The men during the summer 

 months would be employed in keeping up the nursery, cutting- 

 down the growth round the young trees, putting up fencing, 

 &c. 



Liverpool. — According to evidence given before the Royal 

 Commission on Coast Erosion by Mr. Joseph Parry, 

 Engineer-in-Chief to the Liverpool Corporation Waterworks, 

 the Corporation possesses two catchment areas : one at 

 Rivington, in South- West Lancashire, covering an area of 

 10,000 acres on the Millstone Grit formation, and the second 

 at Vyrnwy, in Montgomeryshire, with an area of nearly 

 23,000 acres. The work of afforestation on these areas has 

 been mainly undertaken with a view to utilise the ground, 

 and at the same time to prevent any pollution in the water 

 supply. 



Operations at Rivington were begun about 1904 with an 

 experimental area of about 600 acres, and in 1908 408 acres 

 had been actually planted. At Vyrnwy the area actually 

 planted (in 1908) was 400 acres, and, in addition, there were a 

 number of old woods covering some hundreds of acres. Nur- 

 series have been established at both places, which are now able 

 to supply the trees required for planting. 



The average cost of planting has been about £6 per acre, 

 but this includes some expenditure which will not be necessary 

 in future. 



Mr. Parry has furnished the Board with the following 

 general statement of the afforestation work carried out by the 

 Liverpool Corporation since the year 1904: — ■ 



The top water of Lake Vyrnwy is 825 ft. above Ordnance 

 Datum, and the catchment area around the lake rises, by 

 slopes generally moderate, to a height of over 2,000 ft. At 

 the north-west end the slopes are steeper and in places pre- 

 cipitous. The Silurian rocks around the lake are of a slaty 

 nature, and disintegrate into a loamy soil, which is retentive 

 of moisture. 



The number of trees of various species planted in the planta- 

 tions round Lake Vyrnwy since the year 1904 and up to 

 June 30th, 1908, have been as follows: — Larch, 203,600; 



U 2 



