§ 66. Mr. HAYDN JONESasked the President of the Board of Agriculture if he will state, in connection with the afforestation of a part of the Crown land situate in the, parish of Festiniog, in the county of Merioneth, and known as Hafod Fawr, and referred to on page 51 of the Eighty-ninth Report of (he Commissioner of Woods, Forests, and Land Revenue, the number of acres planted, the number and varieties of the trees planted, the cost per acre of the planting, including that of fencing and draining, if any, and the subsequent annual sum, if any, expended on the afforestation?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Runciman)The number of acres planted is about 150. Over a million trees have been used. They comprised larch (native Japanese and a few American), Scots and silver fir, spruce (Norway and Sitka), Corsican and Swiss pine, Austrian pine (for shelter), and a few Weymouth pine and Douglas fir, alder, ash, and a few hard woods. The total cost per acre down to 31st March, 1909, was about £20, and this includes, besides the expenses of actual planting, those incurred in fencing, draining, clearing, weeding, forming a nursery, and purchasing trees. No new ground has been planted since 31st March, 1909. The sums expended in the three subsequent years, including all maintenance expenses, were as follows:—
A considerable part of this expenditure was for replanting areas where the trees had failed owing to larch disease and other causes.
1909–10 … … … £359 1910–11 … … … £297 1911–12 … … … £309
§ Earl WINTERTONMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he is planting the varieties of larch which are peculiarly subject to disease?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe planting was done previous to 1909. If the Noble Lord wishes to have a list of the trees, I shall be very pleased to supply him with it.
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI can only give the cost as £20 an acre down to 1909 as representing the charge for the purposes stated in my answer.