152 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



Distribution 



The most complete and recent account of the tree is a monograph cited above 

 with maps by Prof. H. Conwentz, who describes at great length the various places 

 where the tree is found and the conditions under which it grows. It is widely dis- 

 tributed throughout most of the woods and forests of Europe, but does not occur 

 in Scandinavia, Holland, or the greater part of Russia, where it is only met with in 

 the southern provinces. It also occurs in the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Syria, and in 

 Algeria, It is found on most geological formations, including granite in the Vosges, 

 gneiss in Siberia, and basalt in Austria ; and it prefers a soil rich in humus, Will- 

 komm says that on mountains it is commoner on limestone than on other soils, but 

 the French foresters say that it is practically met with on all soils that are not very 

 dry or very wet. It is a tree of the lowlands and hills, attaining 700 metres altitude 

 near Zurich, 1200 in Herzegovina, and 1900 in the Caucasus, It occurs more or 

 less rarely over all parts of Germany, especially in the north-east, and it attains its 

 maximum size in the royal forest of Osche in West Prussia. The largest tree known 

 to Conwentz was "25 metres high, with a clean stem of 12 metres, and a girth at 

 I metre from the ground of 2 metres." The age of this tree was estimated from 

 the rings in the broken trunk of another tree at 235 years. 



The scarcity of the tree, as a rule, cannot be accounted for by any deficiency in 

 reproductive powers, for the fruit is produced in some abundance in good years ; and 

 being eaten by many birds and animals, among which the waxwing chatterer, the nut- 

 cracker, and the fieldfare are mentioned, the seeds must be widely dispersed, while 

 the freedom with which the roots produced suckers is remarked upon. 



The timber seems to be much more highly valued in Germany than here, from 

 18 to 52 marks per cubic metre being given for it, according to quality, in places 

 where hornbeam is only worth 11 marks. It is very hard and durable, and takes a 

 fine polish like that of maple. 



In the Hartz mountains and Thuringia it is known as "Atlasholz," and is 

 much used and valued for furniture making. 



The fruit is not so much valued as formerly, when it was sold in Prague and 

 Vienna in the winter at the market, and also in Wurtemburg, under the names of 

 Haspele, Arlesbeere, or Adlsbeere. 



Conwentz says that the Latin name tonninalis was derived from the Latin word 

 tormina^ and given on account of the properties of the fruit, to which one of its 

 names in England, "griping service tree," also has reference. 



In Upper Alsace a spirit is distilled from the fruit, which tastes something like 

 Kirschwasser. 



Distribution and Remarkable Trees in England 



Pyrus torminalis does not occur as a wild tree, and is rarely planted in Ireland, 

 Scotland, or the North of England. Its range is from Anglesea and Nottingham 

 southwards. It is known as the service or griping service tree; and in Kent and 



