August, 1955 
thapsus, Achillea millefolium, and Setaria 
viridis. On the last visit it was found 
that the prairie had been burned a week 
before, fig. 17. From the tenant farmer 
it was learned that this prairie is burned 
in early spring each year to allow an ear- 
Evers: Hitt Prairies or ILLInois 
403 
Mud Creek.—In the years of this 
study, prairie occupied much of the sandy 
loess ridge that separates the bottomland 
of the Illinois River from Mud Creek in 
the northeast quarter of section 1, T. 16 
N., R. 11 W., Morgan County. A thicket 
Fig. 17.—Surface of Reavis Spring hill prairie after an early spring fire. The size of the 
clumps of Andropogon scoparius is evident by comparison with the 1-foot rule. 
lier and more tender growth of grass than 
would normally occur. 
Bluff Springs.—Disturbed prairie, 
which covered about a half acre on the 
north part of a loess mound in the south- 
west quarter of section 21, T. 18 N., R. 
11 W., 0.1 mile north of Bluff Springs, 
Cass County, was visited September 15, 
1949; July 6, 1950; and May 18, 1951. 
The mound and the adjacent lower slopes 
were pastured. The lower slope on the 
west was occupied by a mesophytic dis- 
turbed prairie with Poa pratensis locally 
dominant. The steeper slopes of the 
mound were prairie, with Andropogon 
scoparius the dominant grass. Bouteloua 
curtipendula and several plants of Spiran- 
thes cernua occurred on these slopes. The 
almost level top, which had been much 
disturbed by trampling, supported a mix- 
ture of prairie and weeds. 
bordered the road on the lower north- 
west-facing slope. This thicket extended 
into the coves and partly up the cove 
slopes. Prairie covered the spurs and 
ridge-top, fig. 18. The dominant grass 
was Andropogon scoparius. Bouteloua 
curtipendula and B. hirsuta grew in scat- 
tered clumps in the prairie, Psoralea ten- 
uiflora was common, and Sisyrinchium 
campestre very abundant. All of this prai- 
rie and that part of the ridge that was 
covered with thicket, about 13 acres in 
area, served as a cow pasture. Visits were 
made to Mud Creek prairie on July 6, 
1950; May 18, 1951; and “March? 25, 
1952. 
Northeast Meredosia.—When last 
seen, this prairie covered about 9 acres of 
the loess bluffs in section 9, T. 16 N., R. 
12 W., about 6 miles northeast of Mere- 
dosia, Morgan County. Andropogon sco- 
