PRAIRIE FRUITS. 203 
pose that the genial influences of civiliza- 
tion—that extensive cultivation of the earth— 
might contribute to the multiplication of 
showers, as it certainly does of fountains? Or 
that the shady groves, as they advance upon 
the prairies, may have some effect upon the 
seasons? At least, many old settlers main- 
tain that the droughts are becoming less op- 
pressive in the West. The people of New 
exico also assure us that the rains have 
much increased of latter years, a phenomenon 
which the vulgar superstitiously attribute to 
the arrival of the Missouri traders. Then may 
we not hope that these sterile regions might 
yet be thus revived and fertilized, and their 
surface covered one day by flourishing settle- 
ments to the Rocky Mountains ? 
With regard to fruits, the Prairies are of 
course not very plentifully supplied. West 
of the border, however, for nearly two hundred. 
miles, they are covered, in many places, with 
the wild strawberry ; and the groves lining the 
streams frequently abound in grapes, plums, 
persimmons, mulberries, paccans, hackberries, 
and other ‘sylvan luxuries. The high prai- 
ries beyond, however, are very bare of fruits. 
The prickly pear may be found over most of 
the dry plains; but this is neither very palata- 
ble nor wholesome, though often eaten ti 
travellers for want of other fruits. Upon 
branches of the Canadian, North Fork, a 
Cimarron, there are, in places, considerable 
quantities of excellent plums, grapes, choke- 
cherries, gooseberries, and currants—of the 
