32 On the Prairies and. Barrens of the West. 
the fresh meadows of the east; because the upland near 
them is richer, consequently the alluvion of the prairies will 
be deeper and finer ; and the ae ae is warmer, and more 
favourable to spontaneous producti 
It is not impossible for prairies to eee formed on the sides 
of mountains near their tops, like the glades on the Allegha- 
ny mountain ; because there may be shallow hollows on the 
sides of mountains, lying nearly parallel to them, and so 
formed as to contain so much water from rain and the springs 
above them, that trees will not grow in them; and in pro- 
cess of time a quantity of alluvial soil from the higher parts 
of the mountain and from leaves and other vegetable sub- 
stances will be accumulated in them, so as to reach the sur- 
ace of the water, then particular kinds of grass will grow, 
and the hollow will exhibit every appearance of a natural 
meadow. 
4, The Barrens, so called from their sterile appearance, 
are found on the high plains in the west parts of Ohio and 
sae mer in Indiana, Illinois and eos ir he? a ave 
_ featur. race ae ries, essentially dif- 
ferent in many respects. _ SE ee eee ee Oo ee 
y occupy the ‘ehiost pint of the coniiey-aind are 
géiierally level ; some of them are uneven, but I have seen 
none hilly.—They are generally poorer than the timbered 
land in their vicinity, but some spots in them may be richer. 
They are spotted with innumerable groves or clusters of 
stinted oak and hickory trees, of about half the size which 
the same kind are on the timbered lan 
‘The soil is not a recent alluvion like the prairies ; and if 
it is not primitive, it is at least as old as any other parts of 
the great western valley. 1 think it must be evident to 
every one who will view the barrens atientively, that their 
present appearance was caused by fires, which have con- 
sumed the trees and the acorns from which they grow: be- 
cause many of the trees that are standing are partially burnt, 
and almost every one that is lying down has been burnt more 
or less. ‘The surface being generally level, the rains make 
them wet or moist three fourths of the year, and the w 
climate urges a spontaneous production of wild erass and 
wae somewhat similar to that of the prairies. e fire 
n the barrens are generally kindled by the Indians for ‘i 
stinbenients of travelling over the smooth surface, to enable 
