The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-06-15
From Hunts Merchants Magazine
Changes OF Prairie Vegetation.

Over large tracts, once green with ferns, stately
trees have succeeded, followed, in course of ages
by grasses and other herbaccous plants One class
OF trees has had its day exhausted the soil Of az
propriate pabuum, and filled it with an excrr
ment which IN time it came to loathe. Another
and different class has sprung up in its place lux
uHated on the eXcrcment and decay Of ITS pfede.
cessor, and IN turn gave way to n successor, dos
tined to the same ultimate fate. Thus one after
another the stately tribes of the forest have aris
Ell, fourished, aud fell until the soil has become
10 measure exhausted Of the proper food for
trees, and become well fitted for the growth OF
herbaceous plants These IN their turn have Ia
ken possession Of the fertile plains and had then
round of SUGGESTIONS, until they, too like the Deo
pie Of Sodom, have weariod the earth with their
impurities and have been swept away for the
race Of plants better adapted to the growing lights
Of the age
The life Of man is but point in the endless
line Of time. II scarcely reaches ne.fourth OF the
duration OF many tree Of the forest The range
OF lis individual observation is therefore extreme.
Iy limited. And yet he has seen clearly the ope.
ration OF the great law OF change exhibited in The
vegetable world, He has seen r crop .of pines
spring up and grow on surface denuded Of oaks
and hickorles. And, on the other hand lie has
seen thrifty growth of decduous trees spring
up after the ground has been cleared Of ever,
greens Soft wood, deciduous trees he has wit.
messed taking the place of the hard; and nee ter
IA. Changes in herbaceous plants are still more
Observable, In large districts Of our country.
where wheat was once common crop, IL has al.
most ceased TO be grown
Where 1t was formerly grown with little care,
year after year II 10 now cultivated with success
only with rnanures and as one crop of a rotation
Rotations which once answered the PURPOSE Of the
cultivator, have in time required the introduction
OF new crops and new manures to ensure success
FOR tine, more perfect culture kept the crop
from deterioration Then more extended list in
the rotation, embracing root crops Following
this Is deeper cultivation by means Of subso
blowing ard underground drainage, enabling III,
roots TO get food from soil before out Of Their
reach Contemporaneous with these improve
ments have been discoveries in science by which
the soil has been renovated with new chemical u
gents But with all these palliatives, ground long
cultivated in cereal grains is deteriorating for theii
production; and much Of the grnin.eatng popu.
lation OF the world ia now fed from fields lately
opened in the wilds of North America and Rus
The inquiry, What has caused our prairics
seem', then, to deserve attention as n practical
question. The grasses with which these vast
plains arc covered may have had their round Of
changes until the best food for that class of plants
has become nearly supplanted by the cxcrement
which they loathe. The very rapid growth Of
trees and obrubs planted on prairie ground seems
10 favor the idea iha. the time has arrived for tho
great change u tafoan|ace from grass to trees
The infsIlG nth Of cultivated gras.
see N pc SAME conclusion
Der land. when clear.
.. grasses than the prai-
ries. ? superiority Of tho
prairi planted trees. over
lands ca cereal grasses--
snnise. oan to the prairie,
and will, fora good degree
With equal fcrt. lss, IN other re-
lpccts. Il is pretty $50 ed Of heavy
rowth Of timber. "a. ear with an.
nsso better crops.