APPENDIX QQ. 1G87 



Celasfrus scanden*. — Sec trees and shrubs. 



Jtibes aureum. — Sec trees and shrubs; often cultivated in gardens. 



Shepkerdia argentea. — See trees and shrubs. 



EUsagnus argentea. — See trees and shrubs. 



Abies Douglasii. — See trees and shrubs. 



Yucca angustifolia. — See trees and shrubs. 



Phlox subulata (Ground <»r Moss rink). — Covers the prairies with bunches of pure- 

 white blossoms in May ; common in cultivation. 



Of the Astragali, the most elegant is. I believe, the Astragalus triphyllus, very com- 

 mon on the prairies of the Yellowstone. 



TREE-CULTURE. 



Tn closing I wish briefly to state my views in regard to the much-discussed subject 

 of the treelessness of the Western prairies, having had abundant opportunities, during 

 the past summer, to verify the correctness of the various theories advanced. In the 

 first place, the soil of these prairies, being - mostly alluvial, does not originally con- 

 tain tree seeds, and no spontaneous arborescent growth needs be expected simply on 

 upturning it. When such seeds are planted, either by human or natural agencies, the 

 nature of the soil and climatic conditions being generally favorable, they germinate, 

 but, as the young stem issues from the ground, it becomes the prey of adverse circum- 

 stances, which prove fatal to its further development. These adverse circumstances 

 may be several, but the main and all-important one is the prairie-tires which, every 

 fall and spring, sweep over immense areas, leaving no vestige of vegetable life above 

 the blackened ground. Grasses and all annual plants may not be injured; their roots 

 remain mostly intact, and they issue from their ashes as green and vigorous as ever in 

 the spring. Not so with trees and all perennials ; endowed with a higher organization, 

 the loss of their limbs is severely felt by the roots: these affording more substantial 

 food to the tire are also more deeply burned than in the case of grasses. It follows 

 that whenever a prairie-tire visits outlying groves of ash. box-elder, or poplar, the 

 loss is but very slowly repaired, and after their charred remains become surrounded 

 by a growth of young shoots, a second visitation will probably extinguish their rem- 

 nant of vitality. 



When trees are protected from fires, especially during the first few years, they grow 

 and generally do well : even when shaken by winds and starved by drought, their 

 gnarled and stunted trunks will yet obtain a medium size. Such protection is afforded 

 on bottom-lands, from their position and from the moisture of the soil ; also, in the 

 ravines which drain the blurt's and open on the valley bottoms. 



In these ravines the capacity of the soil and climate to produce trees is clearly illus- 

 trated: The prairie-fire, fanned by the breeze, advances rapidly over the open plateaus; 

 a change of wind will divert its course but not put it out; the moment it reaches the 

 edge of a ravine it seems to hesitate, advances slowly, and soon, no longer fed by the 

 breeze, which is unable to reach it, dies out. \n consequence, such ravine is well 

 wooded. Traveling along the Missouri or Yellowstone, one sees large areas of level 

 country totally stripped by fire, then depressions with white grass and brush, and 

 again ravines and gorges, with grass, brush, and groves of trees. 



These considerations contain practical suggestions for tree-culture. "J 



It is impossible to prevent prairie-fires, and laborious as well as expensive to pro- 

 tect any place from them in the open plains; therefore it seems logical to seek such 

 places for plantations as are naturally protected, and we generally find these in the 

 bad-lands. 



The bad-lands, or at least most of them, are, I believe, susceptible of producing trees. 

 Their suggestive name does not refer as much to the nature of the soil, which is often 

 excellent, as to their irregular, broken, chaotic aspect, and the obstacles which they 

 presented to the inarch of the hardy Canadian voyageurs who fust applied it. I am of 

 opinion that the bad-lands otter very favorable conditions for the successful culture of 

 Hindi trees as grow spontaneously on or near the plains, such as pine, fir, red cedar, ash. 

 box-elder, elm, quaking asp, willow-leased poplar, alder, and birch. 



V. Ha vaim). 

 Assistant Surgeon. U. S. A. 



