288 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



these sods to become thoroughly decomposed, and then 

 the soil is of a light, loose, black vegetable mould, very 

 easily stirred by the plough, but of a nature that it ad- 

 heres to the plough in a troublesome manner. In fact, 

 no plough has ever been found to keep itself clear; and 

 the ploughman is generally obliged to carry with him 

 a small wooden paddle, with which to clear off the adher- 

 ing mass of dirt upon the mould board With this excep- 

 tion, the prairie soil is generally one of the easiest in the 

 world to till, and of course remarkably fertile. 



By far the greatest portion is based upon a sub-soil 

 of clay, though in many places the sub-soil is sand or 

 gravel, and there are large tracts of which the surface 

 is of this material. The streams are often broad and 

 nearly covered with vegetable growth, in some instances 

 to that degree that sheets of water many rods wide 

 actually burn over during the autumnal fires. 



Notwithstanding the many "interesting accounts of 

 burning prairies," the fire upon a dry prairie in a calm 

 time does not blaze as high as it would in an old stubble 

 field. But in the marshes or wet prairies, it sometimes 

 rages with most magnificent grandeur. 



There is one more question often asked, that deserves 

 some notice; and that is, "How is this land ever to be 

 fenced?" This is a question that deserves serious con- 

 sideration. 



The settlements already made are upon the smaller 

 prairies, the centre of which are not more than four or 

 five miles from timber, or along the border of "the Grand 

 Prairie," taking care not to extend out beyond the reach 

 of convenient woodland. But there are many places 

 where the groves are barely sufficient to furnish the land 

 most contiguous, and vast tracts of prairie are to be 

 found ten or fifteen miles from timber. That these tracts 

 will forever remain uncultivated, cannot for a moment 

 be thought of. That timber can be planted and raised 

 in abundance is certain. It is equally certain that they 

 can be fenced with ditches, and perhaps with hedges, 



