Perley, Moses Henry (1847) Report on the forest trees of New Brunswick. Simmond’s Colonial Magazine,

Vol. XI, No. 42 (June): 129-55, No. 43 (July): 314—24, No. 44 (August): 412-29. Simmonds and Ward, London.

Moses Henry Perley lb. 7804, d. 7862) was a lawyer, entrepreneur and office—holder who had been born and raised in New Brunswick where he held various offices including for some years the unsalaried post of commissioner of Indian affairs. This involved him in travel to all parts of that colony, and also in 7842 and 7843 to the Mi’kmaq settlements on Prince Edward Island. Perley was a keen naturalist and author who wrote several reports on the fish and fisheries of New Brunswick ’3 rivers and surrounding seas, as well as a fifty-six page paper on the forest trees of that colon y, which was published in London. The paper aimed to promote the development of the colony’s forest resources and contained considerable information on virtually all of the forest trees, including their taxonomy, nomenclature, distribution, habitat and uses. It also showed some knowledge of the previous literature. ”It is the object of this report”, Perley wrote, ”to describe these timber trees in a plain and practical manner, and to state the uses and properties of each description of wood, with reference to its value and application in commerce and the arts”. Unfortunately, his comments on the trees of Prince Edward Island are limited to what has been extracted below.

REFERENCE: Spray, W. A. (1976) Perley, Moses Henry. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, IX: 628—32.

Red Beech — Fagus Ferruginea.

Description—This species of beech is almost exclusively confined to the north- eastern parts of the United States, and the Provinces of Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. In some parts of New Brunswick, and generally in Prince Edward Island, it is so abundant as to constitute extensive forests, the finest trees growing on fertile, level, or gently sloping lands, which are proper for the culture of grain. Its name is derived from the colour of its wood, and not from its leaves.

’Red ’ beech on the island.

It is much esteemed in naval architecture for those parts of the vessels which are "3 U59 "’7 constantly wet, and it is much used in Prince Edward Island. An old and experienced Sh’p‘bUi/‘fing' English ship-builder, residing at Richmond Bay, in Prince Edward Island, assured the writer that, on the lower part of vessels, he had known red beech wood of the island sound at the end of forty years; in such situations he considered it fully equal to English oak in strength and durability.

Ipp. 314-15] Black Spruce—Abies Nigra. Description.— From the influence of soil upon the wood, this spruce [i.e. black Red Spruce spruce] is sometimes called red spruce, and this variety has been mistaken for a

0" the island. distinct species; it is found most frequently in Prince Edward Island, owing, no doubt,

to the influence of the deep rich soil of that fertile island upon the quality of the wood. Ip. 417]

White Spruce—Abies Alba. White spruce. Description.— In Canada it is called epinette blanche; in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, "white" spruce, and "single" spruce. [p. 420]

American Larch — Larix Americana.

La’Ch- The American species is most abundant, and of the largest size between the parallels of 43° and 48° north latitude, which includes the whole of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. [p.424]

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