TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES OP MISSOURI. 325 



short time since was thinly clad with trees, and evidently was com- 

 pletely bare at one time. 



Is it more natural that our trees have come down the rivers from a 

 prairie region above us, or that they are gradually ascending the streams 

 «,nd moving to the northwest? Being of an alluvial formation, must 

 not the plants that first covered the earth, consequently have been of 

 a sedgy character, such as grasses and rushes ? 



As our prairies are becoming smaller and more restricted every 

 jear, are not the trees and shrubs advancing from the streams? The 

 Ozark region being thinly clad with trees at one time within the recol- 

 lection of the oldest settlers, and now being very densely covered 

 "with forests, is it not the more probable that the trees have made their 

 Tvay up the streams from the southeastern part of the State, and spread 

 out over these hills ? 



My opinion is that our ligneous flora is gradually moving up the 

 •streams to the northwest, governed by some influence that I have been 

 unable to account for at present; but the validity of my position must 

 be apparent to any one who has given the subject any considerable 

 -study. 



Evidently some climatic and other changes are taking place that 

 are causing the southern and eastern trees to slowly advance to the 

 northwest, and that our northwestern trees are slowly pushing their 

 "way westward. 



The possibilities are very many, and the probabilities many, that 

 the plants that now grow wild about us unnoticed, except, perhaps, by 

 a few, will, in time, be found useful and beneficial. How little we 

 know of the plums, red-haws, black-haws, raspberries, blackberries, 

 ^grapes, crab-apples, service-berries, pawpaw, persimmon and other 

 wild fruits ! True, there are some who have spent many years of study 

 oipon grapes, plums and the berries, but there are still many promising 

 wild fruits that may be developed with a little patience and cultivation^ 



Notes are scattered throughout the list calling attention to those 

 fruits which are the most promising, and I trust that the farmers and 

 horticulturists who read this may be stimulated to study and culti- 

 vate some of the most promising of their locality. 



And to the end that a complete history and knowledge of our 

 native woody plants may be had, it is earnestly requested that teachers, 

 farmers and horticulturists do all they can to further this by corre- 

 sponding with the undersigned, and sending twigs, leaves, flowers and 

 fruit of every woody plant that they desire to learn the name of, and 

 also of those they already know, that are not credited in this list to the 

 <30unty in which they live. By doing this, you will materially aid in the 



