251 



to mire stock. Near them is sometimes gathered a small quantity of inferior 

 boo'-hay; "while in the neighborhood is too frequently seen the pale face and 

 countenance, demonstrating that disease and death have found the proper lo- 

 cality to do their -work. 



These springs should be immediately traced to their source, the very highest 

 point where the ground is moistened, and led off by a drain to the nearest 

 ravine, of sufficient depth and width to prevent the escape of the water into 

 the adjacent soil, unless it should be needed for irrigation, which is seldom 

 required with us. 



NEW ROAD. 



I should like to see the experiment tried, of making a perfect earth road, 

 without metal or plank. Dig your ditches, say seventeen feet apart, cover 

 them over, throw up the ground in the centre, let the water from the ditches 

 be taken to the lowest point. In place of making a culvert and bridge, use 

 the rock for making a solid bed for the water to run over, across the road, 

 called a valley, that droves of cattle and the stock of the country may use, 

 and your wagons and carriages may be cleaned thereby. 



I have great confidence, that in a large proportion of our country, roads 

 may be made, for less than one half what our plank roads cost, more durable, 

 and far preferable. 



WOOL. 



We are greatly deficient in sheep in Indiana. According to the census of 

 1850, we have but about a million in the State. Great Britain has more than 

 forty-five millions, which average 3^ fibs, of wool to each sheep. 



If you were offered to-day a proposition for a permanent investment, which 

 you were satisfied would realize forty per cent, upon every dollar invested, 

 the whole community would invest their money in the enterprise. 



It is susceptible of the clearest demonstration, that every dollar invested 

 in sheep, would yield more than forty per cent, annually. No article (the 

 cow excepted) will come so near to paying annually for their cost, as the 

 sheep. 



The annual fleece, at present prices, will pay first cost; their increase will 

 pay the cost of keeping them. 



We have every variety of soil — the hilly land, the broken land, the prairie, 

 the level plain. A very large portion of our State is admirably adapted to 

 the raising of sheep, which is not used for any other purpose. All that the 

 farmer has to do is to clear up his farm, leave the live timber standing, and, 

 whether level or broken, fence it in, sow it down in grass and turn in his 

 sheep. 



The annual deficiency of wool in this country is estimated at seventy mil- 

 lions of pounds; when to this we add the increased demand for the article, 

 will annually require the wool of at least three millions of sheep — there is 

 no fear of over-supply. 



