The Scottish Flora. 15 



where except in the Outer Hebrides. It is usually of Scotch 

 pine, but sometimes of common birch. 



The second point is that there is an extraordinary variety of 

 floras found in peat mosses, which may be summarised as follows : 

 Lowest deposits, Arctic or dryasflora, 1st Arctic; next (2) forest 

 (birch), lower forest; (3) peatbog plants, lower peatbog; (4) 

 Arctic plants, second Arctic ; (5) peatbog, upper peatbog ; (6) 

 forest (pine), upper forest; (7) recent peat. So that we 

 have here in a general way just the very succession Arctic 

 alpine, birch, and Scotch pine found on the continent. There is 

 no doubt, I think, that Lowland Scotland was a great oak scrub 

 in early historic times. The occurrence of the second Arctic 

 bed mav be compared with the observed facts in Sweden as to the 

 restriction in area of the hazel. Whilst the birch occupied Scot- 

 land the ice age in a less severe de\-elopment returned; when it 

 passed away colonisation was renewed and the Scotch fir 

 developed. In some places, however, it is not Scotch fir, bu; 

 birch, that we find in this layer. I think one must at once admi; 

 that there can be but little doubt of the facts. 



Was the destruction of the upper forest of Scotch ■)inc 

 entirely due to another change of climate, which is the explanation 

 held at present by Professor J. Geikie and Dr Lewis himself? 

 But it is too late for me to enter into the intricate history of the 

 later stages of the glacial epoch in Scotland. The question is 

 not debated in quite so glacial a manner as seems appropriate, 

 and all that I am myself clear about is that I want more evidence. 



But there are two points of great practical importance which 

 I wish to insist upon. First, we are not doing our duty bv oiir 

 own district. This valley is full of peat mosses, and at all 

 levels, and I have always heard of oak trees in them. Yet Dr 

 Lewis has not found any oak at all. Moreover, we have no 

 botanical map of Dumfriesshire or Galloway ; and this is very 

 wrong indeed. I want your help to make one, and to examine 

 those bogs. 



The other point is even more urgent, and of the most serious 

 character. Here are 30,000 acres of waste land in Lochar Moss 

 alone. Our roads are full of decent, respectable unemployed, 

 as well as of useless loafers. Glasgow is said to have 70,000 

 men out of work. Now there is no doubt whatever that Scotch 



