410 Relations between Geological Strata and 



Art. VI. Remarks on the Relation subsisting between Geological 

 Strata and the Plants most frequently found growing on their 

 superincumbent Soils, By William Thomson, Esq. A.M. 



In perusing lately a short but masterly delineation of a 

 district in Aberdeenshire, by Dr. Alexander Murray, pub- 

 lished in the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal^ I was 

 struck with the author's remarks on one part of his subject 

 particularly, as they bore on some slight observations of my 

 own on the same subject. The words are these : — 



" After these remarks on the face of the country and the 

 rocks, I wish to observe, that not unfrequently I have endea- 

 voured to discover whether, in the comparatively limited tract 

 to which the present observations relate, any decided con- 

 nection could be traced between the native plants and the 

 soils wherein they are found. Few enquiries are more inviting ; 

 and the opinion that a connection of this kind exists has, at 

 least, a plausible appearance : but, after some attentive con- 

 sideration, I venture to suggest, that there is not in science a 

 more hopeless labour than the attempt to discover an unvary- 

 ing and necessary relation between most plants and the soils 

 wherein they grow. I feel convinced that, except in point of 

 moistness, compactness, and depth, soils have, in general, no 

 cognisable relation to their vegetable products. This opinion 

 is, on my part, the result of observation ; and it appears, when 

 well examined, no less to accord with reason than experience. 

 Let us survey Britain, for example, and we find the soils in all 

 places composed mainly of silica, alumina, magnesia, and lime, 

 with accidental animal and vegetable impregnations. Now, is 

 it reasonable to expect, that we could, in our present state of 

 knowledge, trace a general relation between those few elements 

 of soil and the highly diversified vegetable products which are 

 indigenous in our island ? Or that we should ever extend our 

 knowledge so far, so very far beyond our present limits, as to 

 enable us to solve the difficult problem in question ? " 



The decided opinion of a naturalist who has shown such 

 accuracy of research throughout the paper from which I have 

 just quoted, inclines me to regard this opinion as deserving of 

 much notice, as well on its own account, as from the com- 

 paratively little attention which has hitherto been given by 

 botanists to the geography of plants. 



Every ardent lover of nature must indulge a desire to con- 

 nect with each other the great kingdoms of nature, so as at 

 once to link our studies and to condense our views of divine 

 order. I trust, therefore, that future observation will show, 

 that, whatever be the simplicity of the elements composing 



