R. W. Wells On Prairies, 33£j 



The Indians, it is presumed, (and the writer, from a resi 

 dence in their country and with them, is well acquainted with 

 their customs) burn the woods, not ordinarily for the purpose 

 of taking or catching game, as suggested by Mr. A. but for 

 many other advantages attending that practice. If the woods 

 be not burned as usual, the hunter finds it impossible to kill 

 the game, which, alarmed at the great noise made in walking 

 through the dry grass and leaves, flee in all directions at his 

 approach. Also the Indians travel much during the winter, 

 from one village to another, and to and from the various hunt- 

 ing grounds, which becomes extremely painful and laborious, 

 from the quantity of briers, vines, grass, &c. To remedy 

 these and many other inconveniences, even the woods were 

 originally burned so as to cause prairies, and for the same 

 and like reasons they continue to be burned towards the 

 close of the Indian summer. 



Woodland is not commonly changed to prairie by one burn- 

 ing, but by several successive conflagrations ; the first will kill 

 the undergrowth, which causing a greater opening, and ad- 

 mitting the sun and air more freely, increases the quantity of 

 grass the ensuing season : the conflagration consequently in- 

 creases, and is now sufficiently powerful to destroy the smaller 

 timber ; and on the third year you behold an open prairie. 



Ordinarily, all the country, of a nature to become prairie, is 

 already in that state ; yet the writer of this has seen, in the 

 country between the Missouri and Mississippi, after unusual 

 dry seasons^ more than one hundred acres of woodland to- 

 gether converted into prairie. And again, where the grass 

 has been prevented from burning by accidental causes, or the 

 prairie has been depastured by large herds of domestic cattle, 

 it will assume, in a few years, the appearance of a young 

 forest. Numerous proofs of this fact can be adduced, but a 

 few shall suffice. The vicinity of St. Louis and St. Charles 

 affords instances. Both these beautiful places afe situated on 

 what are termed first and second bottoms, or flats — the former 

 on the Missisippi, the latter on the Missouri ; the second or 

 upper bottoms, in both, are high plains, that commence within 



a few hundred yards of the rivers, and extend back many 



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