270 



Afforestation of Catchment Areas, [july, 



before the Coast Erosion Commission by Sir Bosdin T. 

 Leach, Chairman of the Waterworks Committee, planting has 

 already been done, or is in progress, on some 388 acres, while 

 the planting of a further 320 acres has been arranged. About 

 twenty men are employed in the planting season, approxi- 

 mately 120 acres being dealt with annually. Large numbers 

 of plants are purchased, but many are also grown in the nur- 

 sery, which at present covers ij acres, but is about to be 

 enlarged by the addition of 3 acres. 



Some further particulars as to the work at Thirlmere are 

 given in the Quarterly Journal of Forestry (January, 1909), 

 from which it appears that the cost of planting is estimated at 

 £6 per acre for 100 acres a year; fencing at 12s. per acre at 

 first, afterwards diminishing to nothing. The maintenance 

 of nurseries and miscellaneous expenses are put at ^"400. 

 The figure of £6 for planting is considered rather high, but is 

 due to the prevalence of coarse grass and the necessity of 

 using four-year-old plants. 



Birmingham. — The entire area of the watershed of the 

 Birmingham Corporation Waterworks is 45,562 acres, a small 

 proportion of which remains to be purchased. This area in- 

 cludes a large extent of lands held subject to common rights, 

 only 4,925 acres being on a freehold or long leasehold tenure. 



The area actually planted is 4io| acres, situated in the Elan 

 Valley, near Rhayader, and the work was carried out by 

 contractors, who employed their own skilled men to do the 

 work. Maintenance for two years was included in the con* 

 tract, and since the plantations have been taken over from 

 the contractors practically no trees have died. Larch and 

 Scotch Pine have been chiefly used, with some Spruce. The 

 average cost per acre for planting was £/\ 2s. 8d., for clearing, 

 fencing, and incidental expenses, £3 8s. 3d., or £y 10s. nd. 

 in all. No trouble has been experienced with insect pests, except 

 in one case where two acres were destroyed by pine beetles. 

 There are nine separate plantations at elevations varying 

 from 900 — 1,500 feet, and they are reported to be doing 

 extremely well in every case. No further planting is pro- 

 posed in the near future. 



Oldham. — An area of 8 acres was planted by the Corpora- 

 tion of Oldham in the winter of 1904-5 in the urban district 



