TREES IN IRELAND
By SIR SHANE LESLIE
li)URING the present month the Men of the Trees have held their summer school in Dublin, and foresters from all Britain and 'Guernsey and the Isle of Man have appeared in the Dublin streets wearing a badge with the mysterious words " Luct Oilte Crann " (folk learned in trees). Close on a quarter of a century ago Sir Horace Plunkett acted as chairman to the Men of the Trees, and the first act of the visitors was to lay a harp of Irish forest leaves round his memorial in Plunkett House, which remained their head- quarters during the week. Ireland, conscious that she is the worst forested country in Europe, rose officially to the occasion. What party of English folk has ever received such a reception in Ireland .before? The Ministry of Lands despatched them in motor-buses to spend two days in the Wicklow Mountains, visiting the forestry 'stations at Avondale (Parnell's old family home) and Glenmalure. The walled garden of Avondale presents a fine nursery, and many of the ancient trees survive, including the biggest silver fir in Ireland, saved owing to the good fortune that a contractor's saw was insufficient to cut its girth. Here are the future foresters of Ireland trained.
The following day the party of English and Irish foresters mixed (as all good forests should be), braved the squalls which are known as " Glenmalure specials," to be rewarded by a sudden burst of sunshine. This bleak and historical glen, whence the O'Byrnes defied the Dublin Government for centuries, is now a scene of triumph over the elements of rock and wind. One side is still sheer bare and almost soil-less mountain, but the corresponding slope has in twenty-four years been clothed with rich green forest. A slide was manipulated from the height and a hundred logs shot down for the entertainment of the visitors, who later proceeded to Glenda- lough to view some hardwoods, as well as the ecclesiastical remains which are swept and garnished to the comfort of the antiquarian soul.
By kind permission of the Provost the inaugural meeting was held in the Regent Hall at Trinity College, when Rolf Gardner delivered the key speech, an important warning on forestry and famines to come. It is, of course, difficult for dwellers in treeless places to be alarmed by prophecies of "timber famine." They think they have nothing to lose. Nevertheless, the figures for Irish forestry are very grim. There is at present no balance between arable, grazing and forest, and cattle as well as country life suffer from lack of windbreaks. Compared to the ro per cent, of woodland which would give her security and even independence in timber supply, Ireland has but 1.6 per cent, under trees. European countries count a margin of 6o to so per cent. of forest and are fairly safe from famine. England can point to better figures far than Eire, and of course France and Germany are far ahead of both. During the last ten years the amount of Irish timber cut for fuel alone has been devastating. Since the beginning of the war about sixty per cent. of Irish softwood trees and forty per cent. of Irish hardwoods have disappeared, leaving broken tangled wilderness or huge gaps in the forest. Compare what would be the effect if similar percentages of agricultural land were knocked out of existence! /
St. tjarbe Baker, Founder of the Men of the Trees, lectured at both universities and showed by the cinema what erosion and tree- destruction can bring to humanity. There is a rising sense that Chinese floods, American dust-bowls, Indian famines and the relentless advance of the Sahara are kindred results of deforestation. The vast Irish bogs and wastes, the gardens of gorse and roods of rushes, which encumber the country are a part of the same problem: how to get the trees up again before the world famine in timber has civilisation in its grip. Forestry Week has thrown out a number of suggestions which no doubt Irish officials and foresters will work over. St. Barbe Baker has appealed for afforestation of the headwaters of the Liffey and Boyne Valleys. Appeals have been made to religious orders and colleges, which occupy the demesnes
of the old gentry, to plan? memorial groves. The old landlords must be given the credit for the planting of such trees as remain in Ireland. Even Cromwellian descendants planted the timber fuel which has kept the city populations of Eire warm during the years of cold and emergency.' It is true that the motives of Irish tree- planters were for sport and scenery—chiefly the former. Many a fine grove was planted to be a habitation of foxes as well as an aerial mounting-ground for pheasants. Others were planted to preserve ancient earth-mounds and ramparts from the plough. George Petrie, the great antiquarian, appealed over a century ago to landlords to plant timber in the raths or forts. One such instance stands in my sight as I write. The great fort of Drumbanagher, overlooking the three counties of Monaghan, Tyrone and Armagh now presents a kind of Irish Chanctonbury Ring.
An open discussion was held on Irish tree-problems which stirred the- visitors by its variety of eloquence. Commander Gilligan of Derry and Mr. Walsh, Keeper of the Glasneria Gardens, were heard in hot but learned interchanges while the atmosphere seethed with Latinity. What shrubs and trees would grow in Ireland and what would not ? And again and again the question arose during the week as to which should be the king-tree of Ireland. Experiments have been made of growing the Sidra in forest, but the beetle has shown itself. The Douglas, though fine in specimen, raises doubts in monoculture as woodland. The Irish Department have grown the Monkey Puzzle at Avondale in a grow as it grows in its native Chile. We are still in the stage of general experiment.
The day of the hardwoods has gone, for only conifers find favour in official eyes. It is always necessary to speak hard words in favour of hardwoods. The visitors realised that even on botanical subjects an Irish meeting could grow gay, especially when Senator O'Farrell made a dashing speech and reminded them there had been other " plantations " than trees in Ireland ! At this juncture the chairman intervened and read a useful piece of denun- ciation from Lord Dunsany, who wrote that he never knew any Irishman having access to a platform who could not make an admirable speech in favour of trees, or any having access to an axe who did not cut down all trees within his reach.
The English visitors paid a visit to the Dail, and from the Dis- tinguished Strangers' Gallery enjoyed a slashing speech fronllVir. Costello in Mr. De Valera's presence. The statue of Queen Victoria was being removed while they were passing, but kindly workers assured them it was only being taken away to be cleaned and would be shown elsewhere. They did not mention that this would be Kilmainham, where Her Majesty once kept a hotel for Irishmen. But this all added to the kindly humours of the visit, and Dublin put herself out to appreciate the advices and warnings which the English foresters gave.
The climax of the week was a reception by the President of Ireland and Mrs. O'Kelly in the old grounds of the Viceregal Lodge now gaelicised as " Arus na vachtaran." In the old days members of the Royal Family planted trees in these grounds, and their trees have been cherished. On this occasion Atlantic cedars were Wanted by the Taoiseach, Mr. Costello, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who had previously received the English foresters at the Mansion House, and by the present and previous. Ministers of Lands (Blowicir and Moylan). So ended a week memorable for all concerned. May posterity find it memorable in the trees which its speakers will have stimulated the Irish nation to plant!
What are the chances of afforestation in Eire ? There are 600 to 750 thousand acres of middle-mountains land, gorse and rushy fields, poor lands of every kind suitable to immediate planting. Some -of the parties represented in the Government promised during the elections full afforestation, and the new Minister for Lands has cer- tainly signalled speed ahead. But it will take three years to grow the seedlings for the 20,000,000 trees called for. Experiments in dug-out bogs have proved successful with the native birch (a self-regenerator), Scotch pine and poplar. The late Augustine Henry bred the Populus generosa especially for Irish bogs as a rough quick-growing timber which would thrive where no other tree would grow in spite of wind and flood. This has succeeded, and in twenty-five years fulfilled Henry's prophecy, but it needs to be multiplied a thousand-fold.
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