The life of a tree - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849 Excerpt: ...down; and here large reservoirs are placed for containing the brine. Conduits, or wooden pipes, run from one to another of these reservoirs; and as they are not made very water-tight, a number of little streams of the salt-water run out and fill the surrounding soil with salt. The bad and refuse salt is also thrown upon the surface; and, in fact, the whole district around abounds with saline matters, perhaps even in greater abundance than on the seashore. Now, to shew that it is not a mere accident which confines particular plants to the seashore, but that they really Hve there because they find there the salt food they like best: all along the way-side in this district these very plants were found, which are generally the dwellers near the sea. It is easy to guess the reason. The soil contained a quantity of salt; and as these plants require a quantity of salt as part of their food, here they are to be found growing just as plentifully as if in their general position by the side of the restless sea-waves. It is worthy of particular notice that at this position--namely at Northwich--the plants are at least thirty or forty miles from the sea; and consequently their being found in this spot was entirely due to its containing that which forms part of their particular food. All around the district, the trees, shrubs, and plants were of the usual inland character; but here, where a sea-side saltness existed, there was also a sea-side vegetation. We hope this little anecdote will both strongly impress the fact we are seeking to establish upon the reader's mind, and that its import will be fully comprehended. A number of other instances of the attachment of plants and trees to particular sorts of soil could be mentioned; but these are sufficient to illustrate the ...

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