408 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



the name of Townsend, who with several of his children, 

 live in the same grove with Major Davis, and own about 

 3,000 acres of fine land. 1 From Mr. Townsend I first 

 learned that fowl meadow grass, which is one of the most 

 valuable kinds that I am acquainted with for wet prairie, 

 is indigenous to the country. By conversation with the 

 old gentleman, I also became satisfied of what I had long 

 believed, that what we call "blue grass," is a different 

 article from what is known at the east by the same name. 

 The eastern blue grass he thinks much the best. Neither 

 of the kinds are profitable to cultivate for hay, but for 

 fall and winter feed, particularly for sheep, exceedingly 

 valuable. 



I ought to have mentioned before, for the benefit of 

 others who are beginning to make sheep farms, the man- 

 ner which Major Davis constructs "cheap sheds" — two 

 rows of posts about 15 feet apart are set up to sustain 

 poles laid up in the same form of a log cabin roof, and 

 small poles or brush laid on to sustain a covering of hay 

 or straw, and the back side is completely filled with rails 

 set up slanting and also covered, which not only makes a 

 nearly tight roof, but a complete wind breaker, that will 

 pay the cost in one winter. He fodders his sheep without 

 racks. His method is this. The ground being well cov- 

 ered with straw, the sheep are driven into another yard, 

 whilst the wagon, loaded with hay, is driven in the empty 

 yard and the hay laid in rows. The sheep being now let 

 in, commence taking their places without running over 

 the hay or wasting more than when it is fed in racks or 

 boxes, and none gets in the wool. I believe it promotes 

 the health of sheep to allow them every pleasant day to 

 have a range in the bushes. I have no doubt but that 

 many who have driven sheep to this country during the 



1 Isaac Townsend, with his brother-in-law, Charles A. Davis, 

 began purchasing land in this region in June, 1835. He invested 

 heavily in a manufacturing enterprise consisting of a sawmill, 

 furniture factory, wagon shop, and blacksmith shop. Letter of 

 Mrs. Maude E. Henning, Little Rock Township Public Library, 

 Piano, Illinois. 



