THE 



NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



Vol. 17 November No. 8 



Why Illinois Prairie Flowers Have Disappeared 



Dr. W. S. Moffatt, 

 Wheaton, 111. 



Chief among the causes of disappearance of Illinois wild flowers 

 are: 



1. Breaking up of the prairies and tilling of the soil. 



2. The destruction of timber. 



3. The drainage of lowlands. 



Among causes less potent may be mentioned the close grazing 

 of woodlands, particularly by sheep; the mowing of country 

 roads and railroad rights of way for the purpose of destroying 

 weeds; the mowing of low prairie lands late in autumn and the 

 establishment of forest preserves in the vicinity of cities. 



Illinois is commonly called a prairie state. But it is not all 

 prairie. A line drawn from Terre Haute, Indiana, across Illinois 

 to a point opposite the city of St. Louis will mark pretty accurately 

 the southern limit of the prairie. South of this line much of the 

 land is hilly and broken and was originally heavily timbered. 

 There are many rocky canyons and deep ravines, affording scenery 

 that is a delight to the artist. Most of the soil is a whitish or 

 yellowish clay, with a subsoil of hardpan. Many localities are 

 well adapted to fruit growing, producing abundant crops of 

 apples, pears and peaches, while the product of the Catawba 

 vineyards has a nation-wide reputation. This part of the State 

 is known as ''Egypt." The southern portion is of particular 

 interest £0 the botanist, as it marks the meeting of the Northern 

 and southern floras. The wild flowers are in little danger, except 

 from forest fires. 



North of the line above indicated lies the great prairie region, 

 extending across the state from east to west, and northwardly 

 a distance of about 150 miles. Here in general, the surface is 

 level or slightly undulating. There is a little timber, chiefly 



307 



