76 Kansas Academy of Science. 



The shrubs and lianas are identical with those at the mouth of 

 Mulberry creek. The only peculiar species, therefore, is the Burr 

 oak. The Burr oak, coffee-bean and Black walnut extend up the 

 creek for several miles, about one-third the distance of the wooded 

 part. The other trees and shrubs begin to disappear in about the 

 same order as on Mulberry and North creeks. 



In the southwestern part of the country there are more of the 

 characteristic Eastern trees, as the sycamore, Prickly ash. Red 

 juniper, hickory, and a number of oaks. In the northeastern corner 

 the buckeye and bladdernut are present. In passing westward 

 through the northern part of the state the forest belts are of the 

 same character as those on the two small creeks under discussion. 

 At Jennings, in Decatur county, I found about the same creek 

 flora. Only about a mile of Prairie Dog creek was studied ; so the 

 woody flora may not be quite complete for the region, but the list 

 shows the striking similarity of the two localities, although there 

 is a decided difference in the herbaceous plants. The following 

 woody plants were observed : 



TREES. 



Salix amygdaloides Anders. 

 Populus deltoides Marsh. 

 Ulmus americana L. 

 Celtis occidentalis L. 

 Gleditschia triacanthos L. 

 Acer negundo L. 

 Fraxinus lanceolata Borak. 



SHRUBS. 



Salix fluviatilis Nutt. 



Ribes aureum Pursh. 



Rosa arkansana Porter. 



Prunus americana Marsh. 



Amorpha fruticosa L. 



Rhus aromatica Ait. 



Symphoricarpos occidentalis Hook. 



LIANAS. 

 Vitis vulpina L. 



The upland of Clay county is not adapted to tree growth natu- 

 rally. The prairie is a true climatic prairie. Trees like the cotton- 

 wood frequently die in about twenty years on the high upland if left 

 to themselves. Box-elders and Black walnut also will not thrive. 

 But in ravines and in creeks and river- bottoms conditions are fa- 

 vorable for abundant tree development if "once a stand is secured 

 and the ground is not pastured or burned over by prairie fires. 

 But, because of the prevalence of fires, up to thirty years ago the 

 bottoms were not covered by a forest, except narrow and usually 

 interrupted and comparatively short-lived belts along the banks of 

 the streams. Since the forest belts could not progress outward 

 into the prairie, they were as continually cut away by the meander- 

 ing of the streams as they were developed. At the present time 

 the timber belts along both the rivers and creeks are progressing 

 outward wherever natural conditions prevail. The writer knows 



