The Globe-republican., 1897-11-18
!, Around the Prairie Pond

: Around the Prairie Pond :
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There is a constant warfare between
the prairie and the wooded land which
in the West, borders the numerous
streams. Should the incipient forest b.
undisturbed, or not prevented by thu
fields, there will presently be a dense
growth of hazel, dogwood, clumps o.
blackhaw and such like; overt0pped by
oaks, wild cherry and all the trees Of
the river valley. Groves of this char
acter are met frequently between thu
two great rivers, and in one of these j:
the pond of this sketch.
It is formed by dam which is built
across the channel of wet-weather
brook, and which at both ends abuts
against bluff. The dam is about fifty
PAGES long, but the pond makes up fol-
Its narrowness by its length. which,
counting its sinuosities, is well
towards a quarter of a mile. Its depth,
too, is considerable, and the water Is
deep throughout almost its entire
length, and is clear and cool. The
water, also, has spread itself among the
underground, much Of which has per-
ished, looking very much like a dimin-
utive deadening, SO common years ago
in the forest states farther East.
Neither oak nor, indeed, any of the
hard woods, will live if they stand for
any length of time in water. 1t is
death also to every species of upland
underground. Such thickets make ex-
cellent hiding for young fish, and all
the small fry which compose the food
Of large fish, and of water fowl.
l know of no better place for a cou-
pie of hours recreation than to study
wild nature along the shores of such
q woodland pond. Sitting on a little
knoll before the water one will be as
tonished at the various vegetable forms
which can be touched from such seat.
Thinking of this, tried the expert
ment. 1 sat against red oak. bending
the hazel to do SO. To the top of the
little tree ran bittersweet vine, which
in early winter will be red with its
punches of berries. There were wild
beans which horses delight to eat. A
wild wistaria vine was clambering over
the hazel The tubes of this vine wood
mice and chipmunks dig and devour.
II it escapes their chisel-teeth, it will
present you with spikes of handsome
lowers, affording delicate and pleas
ant fragrance Wood-sorrel was there;
and the mouse's ear, earliest of plants
to bloom, the downy leaves of which
school boys gather and chew. calling it
Indian tobacco, a practice which it is
not worth while to copy. A diminutive
elaytonia peeped out from under the
leaves of a wild artichOke, which lat
ter in autumn will be ablaze with yell
low flowers, for all the world like lit
tie sunflowers. Along the edge of the
water were clumps of star-grass, with
tiny, lovely, pink flowers. The red
man beyond the Missouri uses the root
Of this grass to heal the bite of a rat
.lesnake. He chews it and binds it
over the wound. When ready for use
t has much the appearance of slippery
Elm bark served after the same man
her. There were other plants within
each, but these were the most interest
ng.
Near this spot discovered the re-
reat of a weasel. have an idea that
le chose this place because it was
ldapted to his purpose of pouncing
lpon his prey: for I noticed that a
title path, or trail, led through the
weeds past his door. 1t was doubtless |
lsed by rabbits and wood mice in 60 |
ng to drink at the pond. The weasel |
s as shrewd as he is bloodthirsty. His |
len was shallow. and as wanted a
urther acquaintance, stirred him |
With hazel rod. 1t angered him quite |
. little. He barked his savagest and |
it the stick. l did not harm him. l
egard weasel as friend to the farm,
or it destroys rabbits, which girdle
Dung orchards, killing the little trees.
t also ruins valuable shrubs and plants
q the grounds around the farmstead.
lice, also, in great numbers. he Stays
nd eats; mice. which, if not kept down,
,ould ruin meadows, and which are of
reat damage in cribs and granaries.
lie has a habit, too, of killing birds
nd robbing their nests of both eggs
nd fledglings. However, l have this
tatement only from books. The other
daughters have fallen under my own
l had planted water lilies around a
tile promontory and while crowd;ng
trough the plum bushes, which there
,rmed a dense thicket. to see how
ley were prospecting. startled a
bird which never be-
,re had seen in these parts. IL darted
he a flash into the water, which was
arrow on that side of the cape, and
IN up the bank on the other shore,
here it stopped moment to look at