St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-06-30
Origin of PrairieS.

Prof WILDER, State Geologist o
Illinois, delivered a lecture in Free
port on Saturday evening last, OH tho
origin and present condition of the
PrairioS of the North Western States
From a synopsis published in the
Frecport Journal, we discover that he
agrees with the State Geologist Of
Iowa in the opinion that these Prai
rics were once portion of the Ocean,
but does not concur with him in the
theory that the peculiar nature of the
soil is the occasion of the predomin.
ance Of grass over forest vegetation.
We copy from the Journals report
portion Of his remarks
The construction and composition of
our soils, show the most exquisite
skill. 1t has just the right proportions
of lime, iron, phosphorus, &c, &c
all minerals derived from that Won
derful laboratory-tcater. All to make
our soil. Go south from Frceport, and
between here and Polo you will find a
gravel slope or ridge, just as it was
piled up by the ocean currents. The
surface was left by the ocean just as
we find it. The face of the country
gives as it were the features of the
moving waters of the retiring ocean.
And now then, why have we this
peculiar dispensation of the grasses
and the trees r? Why have we not
prairies in Ohio and timber in Central
Illinois? The cause is not to be
sought for in the simple fact of the
Sm the sea. 1t is beyond
that 1t lies in this fact-that our
soil is peculiar in its constitution, and
especially adapted to the tall. rank
grasses which are native here
All soils have grasses peculiar to
themselves. That of the Prairics is
of rank growth, almost half forest
trees in itself. But why have we not
forest trees here ? Look at the map. |
AS general rule, the bottom tim
Der" is found on the east side of the |
streams, the Prairie coming up on the
west side close, or nearly, to the river
bank. This fact, taken in connection |
with the fact that our prevailing winds
here are from the west, indicates that |
the annual burning of the Prairies is !
the cause of the want of timber 1t
is a well known fact that the Indians |
did regularly burn them over, and that |
50 long as this was continued, the |
Prairies were increasing and the grass
diminishing.
And it is also well established now,
that when the Prairie ceases, timber
starts at once and makes rapid growth,
All these facts so to sustain the theO- |
ry that after acater had first given us
our rich soil, fire has kept the timber
out, and given us this Prairie land
But the question arises, did the Ind-
ans start this ! Did they begin it
And if not what did ? Our reply is,
that it likely originated in the follow
ing manner : The natural constitution
Of the soil, So peculiar in itself, gave
rise to this rank grass-a grass which,
in its nature and composition, is pre-
combustib'e. 1t is, too, an
and hence would grow again
# burned every year, while the trees
would rot. These rank, dry, combus-
.ible grasses then, once ignited by
Tres from Heaven, would sweep a
general connagration over the entire
sections where they grew, and this
process year by year renewed, would
produce just what we now find here.
The Indians only seconded the plan
first inaugurated by nature. Such,
then, is our theory of the origin of
he Prairies.