92 BIG SPRING PRAIRIE. 



For the successful culture of the above mentioned 

 crops, the soil must be treated with fertilizers contain- 

 ing potash and phosphates. On account of the in- 

 creased value of this land, there will be little of the 

 natural prairie remaining in a few years. 



A BRIEF COMPARISON OF BIG SPRING PRAIRIE WITH 

 OTHER DRAINED MARSHES IN OHIO. 



The Scioto Marsh is drained by the Scioto River. 

 There are no enclosing ridges of limestone with their 

 practically impervious inclined strata. In consequence 

 the water content of the soil of the Scioto Marsh is less 

 than that of Big Spring Prairie, while at the same time 

 the oxidation of the plant remains was more thorough. 

 As a result of this the soil of the Scioto Marsh becomes 

 finer under cultivation, and as the water content is less, 

 the dry surface soil is more readily blown about by the 

 winds. From this cause, the onion crop on the Scioto 

 Marsh is frequently destroyed. The wind blows the 

 soil away from the onions, and the roots become ex- 

 posed, and the crop is thus ruined. This is not so 

 likely to happen on Big Spring Prairie, as the water 

 content of the soil is greater, especially on that portion 

 northwest from Carey, hemmed in by the two adjacent 

 ridges. In 1902, a considerable portion of the onion 

 crop on Big Spring Prairie was injured partly by a late 

 frost and partly by a peculiar sand-blast action of the 

 fine particles of sand driven along the surface by strong 

 winds. The onions were not blown out, as they fre- 

 quently are on the Scioto Marsh, and the destruction 

 was by no means total. Furthermore, since the above 

 sand-blast action can occur only when the surface soil 

 is dry, and while the onion tops are young and tender; 

 and, as dry weather in the Spring is rather rare in this 

 section, there is little likelihood of frequent repetitions 

 of the above. 



