9 28 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



generally in the vernacular of the island. This omission of any mention of 

 the tree and its associations is probably connected with the increasing 

 scarcity of this species all over Ireland from a very early period, and presents 

 many perplexing problems. The destruction of the species by fire, grazing, 

 and other causes might be regarded as a satisfactory explanation if Pine had 

 been plentiful down to the historic period ; but while there is no evidence 

 that this was the case, there is much circumstantial evidence to the contrary. 

 The omission of the tree in Irish place-names has already been referred to. 

 Bog stumps on the whole show no trace of having been destroyed by fire or 

 felling, and the occasional exposure of a charred or felled stump in turf- 

 cutting proves nothing as regards the death of trees over large areas, which 

 have evidently died in situ, the stems decaying away above the surface, while 

 a growth of Sphagnum or marsh bog formed over the roots and preserved them 

 intact, and in their present condition. This killing out of Pine over large 

 areas of peat-bog has already been dealt with, but the disappearance of the 

 tree over adjoining areas free from peat at the present time, and a still larger 

 peat-free area at an earlier period, suggests some widespread cause which 

 must have had a more powerful influence upon the life-history of the Pine 

 than grazing or human interference. 



Compared with most species, the Pine shows not only great powers of 

 reproduction and dispersal with unfavourable surface conditions, but a 

 vitality which is only exceeded by the Oak and Yew amongst British or 

 Irish trees. No soil type exists in Ireland on which the Pine will not flourish, 

 although its weakly calcifuge character might be disadvantageous in a few 

 districts. Since its re-introduction into Ireland and England during the last 

 two or three hundred years, it has spread over bogs, mountains, and heaths 

 in spite of fires, grazing, and other forms of abuse, and shows no evidence 

 that the climatic conditions are unfavourable to it, whether it is dependent 

 upon the cool, damp summers of Ireland, or the warmer and drier ones of 

 the south of England. No change in the climate great enough to affect the 

 development of the tree can have occurred since it flourished all over the 

 British Isles, or, if a slight change has taken place, it is one which should be 

 to this tree's advantage rather than otherwise. 



The only reasonable explanation of its disappearance, but one which is to 

 a certain extent inadequate, is the increase and progressive development of 

 Oak and other broad-leaved species in the original Pine forests during the 

 climatic optimum, which produced a shade-flora and humus layer unfavourable 

 to the natural regeneration of the Pine on the better classes of soil, while the 

 poorer heath- and Pine-covered areas were ultimately affected by the 

 mountain peat-formation when a damper and cooler climate followed. Milder 



