Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-01-01


tirely bare oftreee, but clothed With luz
uriant herbage.
Those portions of the county which
are hiliy and broken, are generally
coverea win timber, although thinner
soiIed than the plains, and, in thisge-
spect, less adapted to its growth. By,
the inequalities of The surface afford mue
tual shelter.
The valleys, through which the rivers
have their course, are also we'll timber
ed; and the minor streams are marked
by strip of wood, which finds protec-
ton from the WING in the narrow and
deep balows with which they in,crsect
the praiI'ies.
The woodland tracts appear in very
many instances 70 be extending them
selves, being skir,cd by groves OF en-
trely young timber, of extraordinary
beauty and vigorous growth.
THESE who have traversed the treeless
plains and WOODED valleys II Europe, and
who are aware of the extrsme difficulty
of raising plantations OF timber in cx-
posed situations, will resaily conceive
that the nakedness OF ties. plains is ow-
| ing TO the want of sheler. But this,
which | believe 10 be tie real cause Of
the existence Of our prairies may not
easily satisfy the native American, who
has ever considered timber as the earih's
| natural covering.
| Had the cultivation Of this continent
commenced at the foot OF the Rocky
mountains instead Of the Eastern coast !;
| when ii had reached the Western limits
ofthe open country, and was medta,ng
an inroad on the forests Of the East, as zve
are now incroaching on the pralries of
the West; speculation woald have ta-
ken the opposite side, aud the inquiry
! would have been, Whence those in
terminable qoooaa, which obslruct us al
every step in our progress to the Allan
tic % A question 10, more easily solved
than the one before US. Ii is indeed mat
ter of establishment that on so vast tract,
hardly spot of earth should be found
accessible to the suns rays and covered
with green turf, excepting the bleak
glades Of the Allegheny mountains and
he aluyisl meadows on the sea shore.
A recollection of the country | cross
ed, on my journey from the east, con-
firms the opinion have since formed on
this subject, from view OF the prairies,
viz That considerable inequalities OF
surface are essential 10 tie first grozctA
| Of timber; but that, once established, it
extends Itself by virtue Of shelter OF its
own creation over exposures where il
could not have made mencement :
that hills and dales are naturally woody,
and plains naturally Bare.
Surprising the extensive plains which
are row wholly destitute ostrccs, 70 have
been reduced TO this state By fire p; Then,
in order to account for the absence OF
prairios in billy ana broken countries, j;
becomes necessary to shew that the
agency CT fire is destructive of timber on
plains, only. This mode of proof ap-
pears 10 be perfectly applicable to the
supposilion that eahosurs IS the cause,
and affords q strong support to thai OPT
Mon.
Prairie land when inclosed, merely, is
in more forward and profitable state
for cultivation than timbcred land when
| inciosoJ and cleared in the usual way at
the expence OF fifteen or twenty dollars
per acre; or, OF twice that sum, by Ec-
ropcsn iaborers who are unpraCiised in
! the work.
To encourage early and extensive IN
closures, as the sure foundation Of pros
porous improvements, it should be
| known that a prairie, which has been
mown or pastured two years, may be
ploughcd with half the labor of that
| which is in wild state. Tic strong root
ed plants, particularly the Ccanothus or
Red Root, being completely killed and
the turf rendered more mellow, and fit
ter to receive crop. The advantage
also, and convenience derived from in
closures in regard to live stock, are SO
great, that would recomme end new set
tiers to apply themselves to fencing, with
all assduity; and, in every case where
there may be redundancy of moisture
at any season, to inclose by bitches. The
best mode have seen, for security and
cheapncss, is ditch four feet at the top,
one foot at the bottom and three feet
deep, measuring the slope of the side
The earth and turf forming bank, and
fence of five rails upon it. Observe
that the bottom rails should lie fiat on
the bank. Such a fence is absolute,
against cattle; and as much so against
hogs as any thing short Of a stone wall.
The cost, including carriage trails
from moderate distance, is half dol
lar per rod Of 81 yards. The ditch and