The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-11-12
(Ry j. S. HOLMES.)

ana IOIeSl eAlcIloiOht ioiAA AANAo>
is, unfortunately, even yet without a
definite forest policy.
The island, which is about the size
Of North Carolina, was once we'll
wooded. but the destruction OF It's tor
csts began early and mas continued up
to the present time, SO that now less
than four per cent Of the area or Eng
land is wooded and less than one-h1th
oe the noun Of timber consumed IS
produced at home.
Large areas which retain the name
cf forest, as Dartmoor Forest, Exrnoo
Forest. and others, consist of bare
rolling upland, with no forests on
them. while others. like the New For
est. Epping Forest, and Sherwood FOR
est. have little commercial timber ID
them, the trees being chiefly
for ornamental purposes and the Tor
ests are locke upon as parks 1or
recreation.
An elaborate scheme for the refor-
estatiOn Of waste areas by the govern
nlent has recently been
by a commission appointed by Parl1a-
nlent to study this subject The pro-
pcsal calls for the forest planting or
10000 acres a ear for sixty years at
q manual cost of $450.000 at the be-
ginning, to over $15,000,O00 at the end
Of the period. After the fortieth year.
III OkOSJ "OoAO oONoAAA
self-supporting. After eighty years
the forest would have a value Of 81
$40, 900, 900, which is $685., 00O.0 00 in
excess Of the cost Of producing it. and
would yield a net annual revenue Of
ss7, SOC 900 or 1913 per acre from
land now barely producing SO cents
per acre. This scheme has not been
started yet for lack of adequate funds,
and because sufficient suitable, land
has not been available for this pur-
pose. 1t is now proposed, however, to
make a beginning on the $4,000 acre
watershed belonging to the city OF
Birmingham. which was recently Wis
tied by the State Forester. This would
secure the desirable permanency Of
ownership and at the same time OBJ
viate the necessity Of buying the land.
Expensive reforesting operations
such as this are not necessary in North
Carolina, and never will be II the or
binary precaution are taken. By keep
ing out fires and leaving seed trees of
the best species our forests will repro
duce themselves and we shall always
have enough wood for our own use
and for supplying our factories. If,
however. the present by
fire. hogs, and unrestricted cutting
goes or we shall sooner or later be In
the position Of England and have to
import most Of our lumber or resort
TO very expensive planting operations
10. Planting for Watershed Protection
and for Timber.
It Is often asserted that turf is as
EOod a cover for a watershed from
which a city water supply Is taken a.
is a forest, and not only this. but that
erosion Of steep slopes can be prevent
cd as effectually by keeping them II
grass as by retaining the forest cover
This, however. Is not the opinion o.
fhn ON inc ovS IN ch oppo Of the Vr2taP
works Of Birmingham and Liverpool
two of the largest cities of England
Both these towns obtain their watel
supplies from catchment areas il
Wales from which the water i
brought through large aQueducts dis
ttnces Of seventy-nine miles and sixty
three miles respectively. Both cite
own the whole of their watersheds an,
are planning to manage them with tn
single idea of getting the largcs
amount OF the best quality Of waite
that it is possible to procure.
The catchment area for Bfrming
ham consists Of about $4,000 acres
cred with turf or with a growth Of 10y
shrubs. chiefly heather. From thi
area the city will take seventy-tw
million gallons Of water q day, Will
guaranteeing to leave twenty-seve
millions gallons to supply the strear
D6lOW the Oam. The three reservoir
already completed hold a reserve c
eleven billion gallons, while the con-
pleted scheme provides a storage ca
racity Of eighteen billion gallons.
About forty miles north Of tn
property Is the Liverpool waterworl
catchment area, containing $500
acres Of much the same kind Of Ian,
The reservoir, called Lake Vyrnw
which is nearly five miles long al
half a mile wide, contains about 81,
teen billion gallons Of water and fu,
nishes Liverpool with twenty millic
gallons OF water a day. besides he t.
million gallons which has to be turns
again into the stream below the dax
Both these watersheds are tho
oughly protected from pollution. A
human habitations are being remov,
as rapidly Is possible and the cuitv
ton OF the soil Is not allowed. Gait
are not allowed on the area, thou,
some sheep. as being the least har1