Plants gronsoing on their superincuinibetvt Soils. 411 



the soils of our globe, yet the grand framework of rocks, 

 which so appropriately mark out the limits and define the as- 

 pects of countries, also largely influences, if it does not deter- 

 mine invariably, the vegetable productions assigned to them. 

 Nor is it unreasonable to hope that the two growing sciences 

 of geology and botany may be thus connected : for what is 

 there more unsuited to each other in the rock and its vegetable 

 tenant, than in the phenomena of Iceland crystal and the arch 

 of an aurora ; in the magnetic power of an iron ore, and of an 

 electrical machine? The progress of science tends not to 

 confound by multiplying facts, but to reduce the number of 

 general laws, by showing how the extremes of nature illustrate 

 the same simple principle. 



The truth or falsehood of any position may be proved in 

 two ways: by reason or experience. Let us examine the 

 position of the author in both of these lights. 



1. From the common principle of reason, to which Dr. Mur- 

 ray appeals, it must follow, that since plants have no necessary 

 connection with the soil in which they grow, we might expect 

 every soil to produce, with fair advantages of climate and 

 moisture, any given vegetable spontaneously and abundantly : 

 a conclusion which is manifestly at variance with fact. It would 

 follow also, that at equal elevations, and in equal climates, the 

 same vegetable productions might be expected : this also is 

 contrary to experience. Districts as near as possible to each 

 other are found to differ most materially in their spontaneous 

 productions ; and invariably, when undisturbed, this difference 

 is in proportion to the variation of strata. On the north and 

 south sides of Manchester the soil is clayey and sandy ; yet 

 the soils are not more apposite than the prevailing grasses of 

 the meadows. An experienced eye can discern the preeminent 

 spikes of crested cjmosure in every well-kept meadow between 

 Manchester and Stockport; scarce one root of which has found 

 its way (though the winds prevail towards that quarter) into 

 the pastures on the Cheetham side, devoted to the soft yflope- 

 curus, and the rich tufted Phleum. 



Little would it reward the industry of the collector to trace 

 every neighbouring denudation of the new red sandstone, with 

 the meadows and copses covering it, in search of the saxifrages ; 

 the parnassia ; the bee, the male, or the spider orchis ; the fra- 

 grant marjoram ; or the rich tints of the blue and red snap- 

 dragons. He may continue his search from Lancaster to 

 Liverpool, and across Cheshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire, 

 to within a few miles of Matlock, and still without success. 

 Let him, then, but set foot on the mountain limestone, and he 

 will find them all in rich profusion. 



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