The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-01-14

f
surely the true reason consists in the seeds no
the surfseA Forrest trees however are not n
The plants which are excluded from the prai
ne. Nearly all the Characteristic shrubs an,
annuals Of the timbered districts are excludes
a. well, the number of which 10 q least Rv,
times ~ great Is the trees Of the country
This Is not all the ferns, moses and fang
are also nearly all excluded from the prairie
which at least doubles the number of exclu
ded plants. So that If the soil Of the prairi'
cannot support trees, it might at least suppor
the more humble growth, were there no
other and more important reasons for thei
absence.
A very important reason undoubtedly fol
| the absence of forest trees, is the annual viz
itation of the prairie by fires, which ALLOW
only ANNALS and few hardy shrubs and
trees to grow anywhere. The true res
son however for the absence of forest specie,
of plants, consists in the fact that having once
obtained foothold under conditions before
indicated, the prairie turf is impenetrable te
the seeds of most plants, and will eventually
strangle and kill any tender shoots should they
BY any cause succeed in terminating. We
see in the prairie, the extraordinary power oi
few hardy species of plants after once get
ting footised, to exclude almost all other
species from their midst. This is true all
over the world. We observe the prevalence
of the domesticated grasses Of the country,
ss, alsS, the white clover, which after once
securing possession retain it for centuries,
this is the consequence of dense sod i'm
penetrable to most plants. Some plants.
of peculiar vitality and hardihood, have the
power of taking possession of the soil even
against adverse circumstances. This is the
case with the Canada thistle, the hsrdock and
many other plauts. Who has not observed
the humble aud ever encrocchisg vitality Of
the dog fennel, as it is called in the West,
''thick as Methodism and Nayweeds,n has
pissed into proverb, and we see it, hardy
pioneer as it is, leading on civilisafioa - we
move to the West Nearly all the spscies of
plants of the prairie haye the peculiarly Of
growing in clumps or masses, and 10 immense
numbers, sufficient often to color the prairie
for miles. hear people often speak of the
immense variety of plants on the prairie when
they simply mean grea. pnofus,on. The ex.
elusive vegetation of the prairies, though con-
stituting similar peculiarly to the heaths
and moors Of Europe and the steppes Of Tar.
tary, is not so strongly marked as in them,
unless, perhaps, we except the dry prairies
along the slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
We may accordingly regard it as certain
that on the destruction of the prairie sod BY
sub -soiling, DC. in It's rich virgin soil every
species Of plant which cultivation demands in
this latitude may be cultivated at pleasure,
and among the rest, the various species of
trees and shrubs for ornament and use, pre-.
vailing in the Fssr. As any tate no views
should find currency calculated to discourage,
in the least, any attempts, on the part of the
Agricultural in the West, TO overcome by Ie-
repeated trials, if necessary. the natural def
ciencies in the country of his adoption.
g. NJ. h.