BIG SPRING PRAIRIE. 51 



loides, with Urtica gracilis as the most abundant her- 

 baceous plant; and the following quite common: Koel- 

 lia virginiana (L.) MacM. (Virginia Mountain Mint); 

 Helianthus giganteus (Tall Sunflower); Thalictrum 

 polygamum (Tall Meadow-rue); and Carduus muticus 

 (Michx.) Pers. (Swamp Thistle. 



FIELD B. 



The unburned portion was still a natural meadow 

 in 1899, and resembled field F. In addition to most of 

 plants found in field F, the following were quite com- 

 mon: Aster Novae-Angliae L- (New England Aster); 

 Aster puniceus L. (Red-stalk Aster); Euthamia gram- 

 inifolia (L-) Nutt. (Bushy Fragrant Goldenrod); Lactu- 

 ca Scariola L. (Prickly Lettuce) ; Asclepias syriaca L. 

 (Common Milkweed); Helianthus giganteus L. (Tall 

 Sunflower); Onagra biennis (L.) Scop. (Common Even- 

 ing Primrose); Roripa armoratia (L- ) Hitch. (Horse-rad- 

 dish); Lactuca spicata (Lam.) Hitchc. (Tall Blue Let- 

 tuce); Potentilla fruticosa L. (Shrubby Cinquefoil); and 

 Rubus occidentalis (Black Raspberry). 



In the Autumn of 1897, the shaded portion was se- 

 verely burned. As a result the elms numbered from 1 

 to 7 were destroyed. The fire, burning the soil and 

 roots from under the trees, caused them to fall, but yet 

 did not consume them. 



In 1898, the severely burned spaces were covered 

 with mosses (chiefly Funaria hygrometrica) and a few 

 annual herbs. In 1899, some of these spaces contained 

 hundreds of seedling elms and poplars; others were 

 covered with rosettes of Onagra biennis and Epilobum 

 coloratum; others, with Muhlenbergia racemosa; still 

 others with Panicum capillare. Each of the foregoing 

 have seeds that are readily disseminated and the ash of 

 the muck does not seem to be detrimental to their ger- 

 mination. The south portion of the burned area con- 

 tains more of the seedling elms and poplars than the re- 



