The Fern Bulletin, April 1912

The Fern Bulletin, April 1912 - A Quarterly Devoted to Ferns

To insure subscribers against loss of one or more numbers between the expiration and renewal of their subscriptions the journal will be sent until ordered stopped. All arrearages must be paid. Remittances may be made by money order, stamps, currency or drafts and personal checks drawn on Chicago or New York. Checks on other banks must contain 10 cents for collection. It is not likely that there will be any more last appearances of Volume VI. The best we can do now is to begin with volume VII. We offer the next 13 volumes (7-19) for $9.00 and will present to each purchaser a copy of 10 year index, Boston Meeting Papers and Ferns of Upper Susquehanna as well as 3 different numbers of Vol. VI. Single volumes 75 cents. The state of Illinois has an area of about 55,000 square miles. It lies between the parallels 37 and 42 30, thus giving a length of 5 or about 380 miles. This north and south extension produces a milder climate in the southern part, but no fern of essentially southern distribution comes in except Polypodium polypodioides, though the two quill-worts of the state are perhaps better placed under this head also. It is the lowest of the north-central states in average altitude, the mean above sea level being about 600 feet, varying from 300 feet at the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to 1250 feet at the Wisconsin line in the extreme northwest part. As there is nothing in these extremes of elevation to effect material changes of temperature due to altitude, its floristic features are not much modified in respect of this. Anything of this character must be ascribed to local conditions, not general causes. Another factor that affects its floristic features is the dominance of prairie within its boundary, the forests and woodlands, sometimes very narrow strips, chiefly bordering its streams and lakes. Since lands covered with grass are not adapted to the growth of ferns, and consequently are limited in species, their number and variety must be much restricted for this reason. This must have been the case in the primitive condition of the prairies before they were so generally taken up for cultivation. 33 The loss in the original fern-flora is slight in this regard when compared with that of flowering plants. As nearly all of the state is in the region of the glacial drift, the soil is influenced by this condition also. The ravines cut in the drift and in the underlying rock where it is reached, with their varying degrees of moisture and shade, show the greatest variety in fern-life, though a greater abundance of certain kinds may be found in woods and swamps. The prevailing rocks are limestone, but sandstones occur in some localities, especially along the Illinois and Rock rivers. These in some parts of the state, particularly in the coal measures, the area of which is large, may be interstratified with shales and slate. These rocks and the soils resulting from their disintegration and decomposition, taken in connection with those of the glacial drift, provide a fair range of edaphic conditions for the growth of ferns. It is evident that such as prefer a calcareous soil will be best represented, if any preference of this kind inheres in their nature. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 57280
Author: Various
Release Date: Jun 5, 2018
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Editor: Clute, Willard Nelson, 1869-1950