The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-01-08

problem most important 70 the agricultural IN
terests OF our state, and it Is the inquiry which
alone propose To consider, but cannot resist
the remark that wherever 90 find timber
throughout this broad field of prairie. it is
al way. in or near the humid portions of i,.-as
along the mar. ms OF streams, or upon or near
the springey uplands. Many most luxuriant
groves are found on the highest portions of the
uplands, but always in the neighborhood of
water. For "a remarkable example [ may refer
to that great chain Of groves, extending from and
including the Au Sable Grove on the east and
Holdermans Grove on the wet, in X udall
county, occupying the high divide brtv,"u T. {
waters Of the Illinois and the Fox rivers. In
and around all the groves flowing springs alb 1und,
nd some of them are separated by marshes to
he very borders of which the great trees ap-
proach, as If the forest were ready to seize upon
each yard Of ground soon "a il is ele-
waited above the swamps. Indeed, all our groves
seem to be located where water Is 80 disposed as
to protect them, to greater or less extent, from
the prairie fire, although not so situated To
irrigate them. If the head waters Of the streams
on the praries most frequently without tim
Der, 40 soon AS they have attained su efficient VOL
ume to impede the progress OF the fires, with
very few exceptions, we fad forests on their Dor
ders, becoming broader and mere vigorous as the
magnitude of the streams increases. It is mani
fest that lands located on the borders Of stream
which the fires cannot pass are only exp. TO
one-half the fires To which hey would be ex-
posed but for such protection. This tends to
show at least, tina, if but one-half the fires that
have occurred had been kindlea, the arb0raceous
growth could have withstocd their influence, and
the whole surface OF what Is now prairie would
be forest Another confirmatory fact, patent 70
all observers, that the prevailing winds upon the
prtiries, especially in the ann, are from o. e
west and these give direction to the prairie fires
Consequently, the land, On the westerly side, OF
the streams are the most exposed 10 the fires
and, might be expected, find much the
most timber the eusterly sides of the streams.
Another fact, always subject OF remark among
the dwellers on the prairc-, | regard ~ csnclu
sive evidence that the prairie soils peculiarly
adapted to the growth OF trees is that wherever
the fires have been kept from the groves by the
settlers they have rapidly encroached upon the
prairies, unless closely drpastured by the farm.
er's stock or prevented By cultivation. This fact
| regard as established Is oiretul observation Of
more than thirty-fye year,, during which | have
been an interested witness OF the settlement OF
this country, from the tIlae when few log cab
ms many mile. apart, built in the borders of the
groves, alone were met with, till now nearly the
whole of the great prairiss. IN oar State ~ least
are brought under cutig- Jon by the industry OF
the husbandmsn. Indie, ,Ht, IS = f,at rs well
recognised by the settle .a.t corn will grow
upon the prsiries when m.r-y cultivated. Ten
years ago | heard the made, w intel
ligent and observing ...r. that within the pre-
ceding twenty-five ya.r- rae Of '.e timber
in the prairie portions OF .he State had actually
doubled by the spg0t4u. a.. sion If the nat
ural groves However r..> may be- certain it i.
tn at the encroacb rnenrs Of t"e timber upon the
prairies have been uniy'r.H and rapid wherever
not impeded by fire or other 2ayslou causes
without regard - the constituent, OF the soil.
The MANNER and progrs., 80 rAA cnora csment.
are familiar - all The hazel j, ~" u-u,i pio-
nesr in these ,pcroachri-u',, though ,)metimc,
even this is preceded by The wild .apic NJ On.
can at thu. 4 Az travel two hours On any e the
railroads through our prlirle- without passing
some grove OF timber blrIerrd hy considerable
belts u hazel, among which not far from the
outer edge, youug forest trees will appear, and
these will be observed larger and larger a, they
are farther AID farther from ths edge of the
grass and are found nearer and nearer the srig-
nal forest aud TIN, where there he, been no Gull
tlvation This is the usua, though NOT universal
appearances of tho surrounding If the groves at
the present day. Sometimes, no doubt, larg.
trees will be found as advance seutirels stand.
ing out quite in the prair e, but how they have
been able to maintain their ground there We NAV
not at all times be able to explain. Such instan.
ces are rare exceptions. The general rule j.,
that the hazel is in the advance and from th.
may safely conclnde that this shrub can
maintain the struggle for life with the prairie
grass better than forest trees, while in turn it
succumbs TO the latter. In the hazel rough the
seeds OF the trees fad accessible soil where
the young plants are indifferent to or are bene-
fitted by the shade. In time they rise above the
haze!, and at length grow to sufficient size to
constitute a forest, and shade the ground, which
destroys the hazel which was THAR protecting
nurse in infancy. The facts stated, | think.
clearly warrant the conclusion drawn.
In the paper under consideration. the author,
in answer to some, l think, well considered re.
marks of Prof. Winchell, says The second az.
sertion, that trees ,cW gro,o on the p,airies uhen
introdnced or planted, is certainly true. But we
should take care to make adistinction bet weeu the
results of an artificial process and natural one
When trees are planted on the prairie the soil
is conveniently prepared. The clayey sub.oil
mixed with the black mould forms compound
which combines density of certain parts with
lightness of Others and contains a great proper.
ton of nutritve elements. III the clay of she
suhsoil IL not too thick to be inpermeable to wa
ter and thus to retain it around the roots, thi.
prepared Or artificial ground is very appropriate
to the growth of trees But has ever anybody
seen oaks or hickories, any other kind of trees
grow in the praries from u bushel Of acorns OF
nuts thrown upon their surface Why then, il
treas will grow on the prairies, do We not 50,
those isolated and far-tetweeu clusters of tree.
which appear here and there Oh the borders o.
| ancient lakes cover wider and bv and by
| invade the whole prairiesY Some of those tree
have lived there for ages, their trunks are strong
and thick, and their branches, widely expanded
are shaken and their fruits swept away by tn,
mpetuosity Of the autumnal storms and never
theless, their domain is restricted by the natur,
! of thn urnnnd IN limita which thnu havn nnye1