The Indian Territory in the Civil War Message Board

Round Grove and prairie fires
In Response To: Re: Round Grove ()

Ken Martin,

Prairie fires also kept the saplings from growing.

Prairie fires should be encouraged. ..To me cedar trees signify the death of a beautiful prairie.

When Coronado arrived in the 1740s in now Kansas, 6-ft prairie grass was waving on the now Kansas-Missouri border, and as one progressed west, one would find 3-ft prairie grass on the Kansas-Colorado border. Yes, waving prairie grass the whole width of Kansas. ..Why? ..Because every few years, there were massive “prairie fires” that burned all saplings. ..What happened? ..Roads. ..If you look at a 1930 era map of Kansas, you will see a near perfect grid of roads that stopped any prairie fire. ... Then, unfortunately, our schools forgot to teach the importance of fires.
.
Prairie fire. In the early 1830s, a whole wagon train of my Adkins family were killed in a massive prairie
fire sweeping across the western Missouri plains about 40 miles south of Kan City MO. ..I’m sure that
these huge burning events led to Smokey The Bear, etc., but thinking minds rule today, let’s hope.
.
My father and grandfathers burned the pastures every few years for two reasons: (1) fire stimulates the
growth of prairie grass for cattle grazing and (2) prevents the growth of trees, esp. cedar trees. ..Yes, my
mom, my sisters, and I helped my father with controlled burns several times. ..He plowed about 15 feet
around the periphery of the pasture before we set the fires.
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When I lived in Kan City MO, I drove countless times through the Kansas Flint Hills to Okla. and was so
distressed to see cedar trees popping up along US Interstate Hwy 35. ..(This sentiment registered with my
children.) Initially a few cedar trees signal trouble for the prairie because cattle congregate around trees
for shade, thus massive erosion emanating from each tree.
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A few years ago my son took me to a San Francisco CA art museum exhibit of 1920-era Flint Hills
photographs that showed no noxious cedar trees in the fabulous Flint Hills landscape. ...The basics were
too soon forgotten.

Outrage. Where is the outrage? Outrage from our agricultural colleges. ..The history of our public
school system sort of outlines the evolution of our agricultural colleges. ..A professors related this story
that I suppose is true but shows power of agricultural colleges: ... At the ceremonial groundbreaking of a new huge library at the
Univ. of Illinois Urbana, the dean of the agricultural school walked up and stated “you will not cast a
shadow on our experimental fields.” ... and the library building was drastically changed.
.
This year I about cried when I drove the circular highway around Paris, Lamar Co TX and saw that short
stubby cedar trees were so dense that neither a horse nor cow could meander through. Many of my
ancestors lived there when there were almost no cedar trees and it was a true upland prairie such as a
community named Blossom Prairie.
.
To me cedar trees signify the death of a beautiful prairie, and negligence primarily because of ignorance.
.
A rancher’s daughter,
Patti, prochette@Juno.com
.

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Round Grove
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Round Grove and prairie fires
Re: Round Grove and prairie fires
Round Grove and prairie fires
Re: Round Grove and prairie fires