August, 1955 



EvERs: Hii.i, Prairies of Illinois 



403 



ihapsits, Achilleii millefolium, and Sctaria 

 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 \ear to allow an ear- 



Mud Greek. — In the years of tliis 

 study, prairie occupied mucli of the sandy 

 loess ridge that separates the bottomland 

 of the Illinois River from Mud Creek in 

 the northeast quarter of section I, T. 16 

 X., R. 11 \V., Morgan County. A thicket 



Fig. 17. — Surface of Reavis Spring hill prairie after an early spring tire. The 

 ■7 trniiarius is evident by comparison with the 1-foot rule. 



clumps of Andropogon scopar 



size of the 



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 Countv, 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 le\el top, which had been much 

 disturbed b\' 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 

 turtipendula and B. hirsuta gre\\ in scat- 

 tered clumps in the prairie, Psorcdcu trn- 

 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. \'isits were 

 made to Mud Creek prairie on fulv 6, 

 1950; Mav 18, 1951; and March" 25, 

 1952. 



Northeast Meredosia. — \\'hen last 

 seen, this prairie covered about 9 acres of 

 the loess bluffs in section 9, T. 16 N., R. 

 12 W., about 6 mile^ northeast of Mere- 

 dosia, Morgan Count). Andropogon sco- 



