644 Natural History of Nova Scotia, 



on the buds of the Dutch myrtle and the alder, many of the 

 leaves of the plants of barren soils contain a considerable 

 quantity of resinous matter. 



The large proportion of these two almost imperishable 

 substances, resin, and the epidermis of trees and other vege- 

 tables, appears to be connected with the formation of turf; as 

 it is certain that they are produced in the greatest abundance 

 on the most barren soils, and that in the same situations the 

 greatest quantity of turf is formed. It may also be remarked 

 that there are, in the vegetables of the most barren soils, 

 very large proportions of tannin and gallic acid, well known 

 to be very powerful in resisting putrefaction. The leaves of 

 the kalmia [six species, and some varieties, are known to 

 botanists : the species are all natives of North America] and 

 uva ursi [^rctostaphylos IXva ursi], and the bark and seed 

 cones of the spruces [certain species of /4 N bies], contain them 

 in abundance. 



Leather may be tanned with the leaves of the kalmia ; those 

 of the uva ursi are the principal tanning material used in the 

 north of Europe. The cones of the black spruce appear to 

 the taste as astringent as gall nuts. The taste of these power- 

 ful antiseptics is not very perceptible in the scales of epidermis 

 that are perpetually falling as the trees increase in growth ; 

 but it is probable that they are contained in them in a state 

 of combination with some other substances *, and that they 

 assist in giving them their uncommon durability. 



When the woods of fir become so thick that the kalmia 

 perishes, the soil generally becomes covered with various kinds 

 of dry moss. As this is a vegetable which is not quickly 

 decomposed, it forms a portion of the turf, which is connected 

 by its roots ; and it assists in preventing its decomposition by 

 excluding the light and external air ; and securing it from 

 being affected by sudden changes in the temperature of the 

 atmosphere ; for which purposes it is very suitable ; being a 

 bad conductor of heat, as may be proved by the late period 

 at which ground covered with it freezes in winter and thaws 

 in spring. 



Although many other necessary consequences of these facts 

 would suggest themselves to the minds of those who are versed 

 in chemistry, enough, perhaps, has been said to give some 

 idea of the causes which prevent the rapid change of dead 

 vegetable matter to mould upon barren soils. At any rate, the 

 fact is certain, that a turf is formed, the depth of which, in an 



* Probably oxygen, for which astringents have so much affinity, that an 

 infusion of galls will precipitate silver from its solution in a [an omission 

 here] form. 



