FARMERS' REGISTER— PRAIRIES OF ALABAMA. 



183 



prairie soil, below the surface, it may be remarked, 

 that crawfishes are so very numerous in some sit- 

 uations as to j)rove very destructive to young corn, 

 cotton, and other tender [)lants. Alter nightfall 

 they issue Irom their holes or dens and comnuMice 

 their devastations. Their holes are of consider- 

 able depth, supposed to reach to the rock Ibrma- 

 tion, a distance of from ten to fifteen tl^et; and on 

 the surface ofthe ground regular and well built mud 

 walls, five or six inches high are erected. The 

 crawfish is of the crustaceous class, perhaps dif- 

 fering but slightly except in size, from the sea lob- 

 ster. Their nocturnal perigrinations show that 

 they difier at least in their habits, from the com- 

 mon crawfish found in our brooks. 



Much of the soil is sterile, presenting low hills 

 on which there is no timber; in other places, a 

 small and stinted growth, such as black-jack and 

 post oak. In some places there are considerable 

 hills, having a thin stratum of excellent vegetable 

 mould, covered Avith timber indicating a good soil; 

 but from the close texture of" the substratum, it is 

 liable to be washed away, which has been the 

 case in Washington and Clarke counties. In 

 those counties, I am inlbrraed the rock projects 

 more than in any other part of the prairies, and 

 there are clifls fitleen or twenty feet high. 



There are open prairies of everj^ size from one 

 hundred to one thousand or twelve hundred acres 

 mixed and interspersed in every form and mode 

 with timbered land of all kinds; some producing 

 only black-jack and post oak, not exceeding fifteen 

 or twenty I'eet in height; others again covered with 

 the most majestic oak, poplar, elm, hickory, wal- 

 nut, pacaun, hackberry, grapevine and cane, equal 

 in size and beauty, I understand to similar kinds 

 in the Mississippi alluvions. 



The extent of this country may not be unimpor- 

 tant. I am informed that traces of prairie soil may 

 be seen in Georgia, perhaps as far east as JMil- 

 ledgeville. It is indeed said to exist in North Car- 

 olina; but of this I have not evidence such as to 

 warrant the assertion. That it stretches nearly 

 five hundred miles eastward from the vicinity of 

 the Mississippi on the west almost to Milledgeville, 

 there is no doubt; and if it extends, as is said to be 

 the fact, to North Carolina, it reaches lour hundred 

 or five hundred miles farther, being perhaps nine 

 hundred or one thousand miles long, and from forty 

 to sixty in breadth. 



That the prairies were once the boundary of the 

 Atlantic is evident. 1. From the fact, that on 

 both sides, they exhibit the indented and irregular 

 appearance of a coast, vmifbrmly stretching up the 

 large w^ater courses; and in general, theeandy low 

 country stretches in a corresponding degree up the 

 rivers into the prairies; but except it is more or less 

 alluvial, is unlike the prairies. 2. They are near- 

 ly or quite parallel to the present shore. 3. The 

 great quantity of sea shells, found scattered on so 

 large a tract of country, very little of which is 

 within one hundred miles of the sea coast, support 

 the opinion now advanced. The idea of their hav- 

 ing been carried thither by action of winds or tides, 

 is precluded by the fact, that in that case, they must 

 have been raised three or four hundred feet, and I 

 presume in no place less than one hundred above 

 the level of the Gulf of Mexico. 



That the change was the effect of earthquakes, 

 is evident from the appearance of the Mississippi. 

 The "father of rivers" bears strong marks, that 



long before the earthquakes of 1811 '12, its course 

 had been altered by some more powerful convul- 

 sion of nature; for its mighty current runs strongly 

 against the seven blufls below its junction withVhe 

 Ohio, (except at St. Francisville,) seeming still to 

 contend lor its ancient channel. The prairies them- 

 seh-es aflbrd strong proof of this position; for, in 

 numy places, they present the appearance of hav- 

 ing been lifted up, and they are, in fact, consider- 

 ably higher than the surrounding country. Much 

 of the country of which I am speaking, besides 

 the prairies, has that peculiar undulating appear- 

 ance which corresi)onds with tlie expansive heav- 

 ings' of eartlKjuakes. 



To this theory an objection, at least, may be 

 raised. Why is it that aquatic remains are not 

 found between the prairies and the ocean? It may 

 be replied that the marine exu^via; in the low coun- 

 try have long since been decomposed, while the 

 shells in the prairies have remained in some in- 

 stances, entire, for the want of suitable agents to 

 act upon them; indeed, the prairies themselves 

 illustrate this observation, for in all places where 

 vegetable matter in considerable quantities has 

 been brought to act, tlie shells are rapidly decom- 

 posing or have nearly passed through this process, 

 and the vegetables have in consequence obtained 

 a luxuriant growth. While on the other hand, in 

 situations where shells are found in nearly their 

 original state, it is readily perceived that tlie mass 

 of actually decomposing materials, (except a par- 

 tial influence of air and water,) is in small propor- 

 tion to the whole accumulation. 



The prairies present a more lovely and fascina- 

 ting prospect in the spring and summer, than the 

 liveliest imagination can [)icture. They are then 

 clothed in the richest livery of those seasons — 



"Plains immense, and interminable meads. 



Lie stretch 'd before — where the wandering eye, 



Unfix'd IS in verdant ocean lost, 



Another flora there, of bolder hues, 



And richer sweets, beyond our gardens pride. 



Plays o'er the fields, and showers with sudden hand, 



Exuberant spring." 



Herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, are seen in 

 the distance, cropping the fresh grass, or wander- 

 ing at pleasure over the flowery region. Yet the 

 absence of large trees, is amply repaid, by the rich 

 garniture of grass, flowers and shrubbery. The 

 odors of the wild rose, hawthorn, &c. load the 

 summer's breeze with the most delicious perfumes. 

 During the hottest and most sultry weather, when 

 in other places, every thing is drooping and with- 

 ering from excessive heat, a cool breeze is "ever 

 on the wing." This is owing to the elevation of 

 the prairies and the absence of timber. 



During my last visit to the prairies, I found a 

 substance existing in considerable quantities, re- 

 sembling the coral, or some of the zoophytic fami- 

 lies. It is nearly as hard as flint rock. I collected 

 several specimens, but have lost them. Some 

 months back, I saw in the possession of a gentle- 

 man, several very interesting prairie specimens. 

 They were said to be Shark's teeth, from an inch 

 to an inch and a half in length, slender and very 

 sharp. Among them are also species of the ver- 

 tebrie of fishes. They were procured in a section 

 of the prairies which I have never visited; which 

 abounding in specimens of the kind just mention- 

 ed, is the most interesting portion of'^this singular 

 country. 



