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A. G. Tanstey. 
dicotyledons forming the typical prairie “societies” of Clements, 
there are the Leguminous species Psoralen tenuijlora and escnlenta, 
Amorplia canescens, Petalostemum purpureum, P. candidnm; and the 
Composites Aster multiflorus, Solidago rigida, S. serotiua and 
Vernonia fasciculata, the last six species common to the typical 
climatic prairies of Lincoln and the far distant local prairies at 
Chicago Lawn. Echinacea augustifolia, the “ Niggerhead,” with 
its strongly convex almost black disc, is an abundant and 
conspicuous species. 
The river-bottom forest fringing the streams is composed of 
Uhnus americana, Acer saccharinuin, A. Negundo, Quercus macro- 
car pa, Fraxinus lanceolata, Celtis occidentalis, fuglans nigra, etc., 
with Syniplioricarpns racemosns,Rihes oxyacantlioides, Smilax hispida, 
Rhus Toxicodendron, Vitis vulpina, etc., representing shrubs and 
lianes. Unfortunately, the examples of this association near 
Lincoln have all been pastured and the natural boundary between 
forest and prairie entirely destroyed. It is stated, however, from 
several different sources, that since the cessation of prairie fires, 
the forest steadily advances on the prairie where it has the chance, 
i.e., where the tree seedlings are not eaten down by cattle. This fact 
however, scarcely justifies the view taken by one European member 
of the party, that the whole of the prairie is artificial and that its 
soil has previously borne forest! It is true that trees will grow, 
and grow well, when plantations are made on the prairie. We 
visited two plantations, one forty-four years old, composed of the 
western cottonwood Populus Sargenti, in which the trees were 
thirty to thirty-five feet high and in a flourishing condition. The 
soil of this plantation having been much trampled, bore mainly a 
grass vegetation, though three or four woodland plants had colonised 
it. But in the case of another plantation, the “ Rogers woods,” 
which was planted on the high prairie about thirty years ago, 
mainly with fuglans nigra and Acer Negundo, with some Acer 
saccharinuin, Uhnus americana, U.fulva, Fraxinus lanceolata, and 
Toxylon pomiferum, the existing state of things is very striking. 
The two first-mentioned species are reproducing themselves freely, 
as also is Ulmus americana: U.fulva and Fraxinus lanceolata to 
a less extent. Seventeen other trees, shrubs and lianes have 
appeared, of which the great majority are native woodland forms; 
and at least thirty-six herbaceous species are now present, including 
ten woodland species. These data were very kindly collected for 
me by Professor Bessey, and afford a most interesting piece of 
