(seq. 147)

143

"not only barren on which they grow
"naturally but if they happen to come on
"other lands they spoil them and render
"them more or less barren Having often
"examined what this could be owing to
"I could not attribute it altogether to Their
"large spreading roots which spread all over
" the surface of the Earth like a Mat
"and exhaust its substance but cheifly to
"the strong acid Juice of their leaves
"which distills from them in the spring
"of the year like oil of turpentine and
"poisons both the Earth and every thing
"upon it as it is well known that all
"acids are a poison to vegetables and all
"alcalies a rich manure. But whatever
"may be the cause the matter of fact is
"certain that nothing will grow among pines "

in