1899] | BRIEFER ARTICLES 393 
sion of the soil. In the limestone region in the southeastern part of 
Clay county, there are severa] species of trees which do not pass over 
into the sandstone district. The trees which finally crowd out the 
cottonwood are few in number and are of the following species: — 
Negundo aceroides Moench, Gymnocladus Canadensis Lam., Gleditschia 
tracanthos L., Cercis Canadensis ., Fraxinus viridis Mx., Ulmus fulva 
Mx., Ulmus Americana L., Celtis occidentalis L., Morus rubra L., and 
Juglans nigra LL. Thus, in the older forests, the cottonwood trees 
stand here and there as solitary giants, crowded on all sides by the 
hewer Occupants. 
There seems to be good evidence that these timber belts never 
advanced outward from the river, but rather that fire and prairie grass 
vere continually encroaching upon the forest areas, restricting them 
0 narrow belts along the river, although the river bottoms in some 
places are several miles in width.—]Joun H. ScuarFner, Columbus, O. 
THE SPREADING OF BUFFALO GRASS. 
T HAVE several times read the statement that the buffalo grass, Buch/oe 
dhctyloides Engelm., is being crowded out and exterminated in regions 
hich have been settled for some time. This does not agree with my 
m2 observations, which extend through a period of over twenty years 
” Clay county, Kansas, a region where this grass is quite common, 
ithough it occurs only in small patches here and there in the prairie. 
Ofcourse, the sum total in a given region would be less at the present 
tte than formerly on account of the great areas now under cultivation. 
in the pastures the grass has spread considerably. I know of 
Patches which are at present from six to ten times their original area 
meaty five years ago when the country was first settled. There are 
. many places, formerly destitute of buffalo grass, which are now 
wally covered with it, other species being crowded out. 
his increase of the buffalo grass in the pastures is without doubt 
ois, - Continual tramping of cattle, which destroys “ ane 
‘Send Prairie-grasses but does not seem to be injurious 
en ~~ to the buffalo grass. ig aes 
i. know of a patch in a yard which has peat heat 
destrove z five years, while all the other grasses have pad ae 
a . sg their place taken by weeds and introduced g sys ae 
© region under consideration, the buffalo grass usua y ef 
due 
