SOLON ROBINSON, 1840 143 



I believe I could advise who would be likely to benefit 

 themselves by emigration, but that would be advice 

 thrown away. But I hope the advice to all emigrants, 

 to bring with them some choice selections of stock, as 

 the most profitable investment of money that they could 

 make, will not be entirely lost. 



Here is a vast country of the richest soil, not one-tenth 

 part cultivated, forming a pasture for stock equal to your 

 eastern clover fields, and susceptible of supporting im- 

 mense herds, making tons of beef, butter, cheese, and 

 pork, with small labor, and no interest upon the cost of 

 valuable land. But we are lamentably deficient in stock ; 

 in half a dozen counties, there are not half a dozen pairs 

 of Berkshire hogs. In fact, hereabouts is the ivorst breed 

 of hogs I ever saw in any country. Sheep are of the 

 coarse common kind, with no means of improving them; 

 and although it is supposed by many, that sheep require 

 a hilly country, I never saw sheep do better in any place 

 than in this prairie country. But with a good breed, we 

 also need a good breed of shepherd's dogs, for the prairie 

 wolves are very troublesome. These are a species be- 

 tween the wolf and fox. They are somewhat larger than 

 the largest kind of fox, and "bold as the devil." At this 

 season of the year, the sheep need constant watching in 

 the day time, and close yard at night. There are none 

 or very few big wolves, or other troublesome animals. 

 Sheep and cattle are easily wintered on native grass, 

 and the country is entirely free from disease among 

 flocks. If, then, men grow wealthy upon stock farms 

 that are worth $100 an acre, what would we do here 

 with the same kind of stock, where a man may get 80 

 acres for $100 ; with an unbounded range of common for 

 pasturage? For dairy farms, a prairie country is re- 

 markably fine; the native grass producing the richest 

 kind of milk, and the fattest and richest beef I ever saw 

 on grass alone. But of pork, I will only say that it 

 cannot be made of the animals common to this country. 

 Come, then, old and young, rich and poor, male and 



