PROGRESS IN THE CENTRAL WEST. 363 



pionship the Rose of Sharon was successful. 

 The following week at St. Louis he again cap- 

 tured $300 in prizes. These victories were re- 

 peated at the same shows in 1867, $600 in 

 money being awarded the Pickrell bull. Of 

 the four large prizes shown for by these two 

 bulls during the years of 1866-1867, aggregat- 



late J. M. Hill, held in November of that year. In 1868 Hannibal 6838 was 

 purchased. Imp. Duke of Airdrie (12730) was his grandsire, great-grandsire 

 and great-great-grand sire. 



In December, 1868, Baron Booth of Lancaster 7535 and Prairie Blossom, 

 Vol. IX, page 879 (from the herd of J. O. Sheldon, Geneva, N. Y.), were 

 added. In 1869 some cows were purchased from Thomas Warfield of 

 Macon Co.. 111. In 1he lot was the mother of Lord Highland 4113. Her first 

 calf after coming i. -> the herd was Daisy Booth, by Baron Booth of Lan- 

 caster, that sold for U,310 as a yearling. In this purchase also was Bride 

 15th (Vol. X, page 521), that produced Lady Bride, that sold at public auction 

 for $2,850, and afterward won every prize she showed for. Another noted 

 cow that came about that time was Lady Fairy 12th, from Mr. Warfield s 

 herd, and Princess Royal 5th, from B. J. Clay's herd. One or two animals 

 were added in 1870. In 1871 some Lady Elizabeths were bought from T. C. 

 Stoner, Macon County, who had bought them from the herd of the Messrs. 

 Hamilton of Kentucky. In this lot was a calf, Maggie Ellen (Vol. XI, page 

 861), by Baron Booth of Lancaster, that was sold to the Government of 

 Japan for $1,000, one of the first lot of cattle ever known to have been ex- 

 ported to that country. 



Mr. Pickrell displayed a fondness for the excitement of the show-yard 

 at an early age. In the spring of 1840 his grandfather gave him a sucking 

 mare colt, and although the boy was but six years old at the time he rode 

 the dam to Springfield, exhibited the colt and took first prize, which was a 

 big silver spoon, marked " Sangamon County Agricultural Society, 1840." 

 Mr. Pickrell has that token of his early show-ring prowess yet. The first 

 year that he owned a Short-horn ( 1861) he made an exhibit and won a prize. 

 The next year he showed at Macon, Logan and Sangamon County (111.) 

 Fairs. His career at the Illinois State Fair commenced in 1863 and contin- 

 ued for many years, in the course of which he visited as an exhibitor va- 

 rious other State fairs, including Indiana, Ohio and Iowa, and never miss- 

 ing the St. Louis show when they had a fair at that city. Deducting 

 amounts paid for transportation, feed, etc., he received during the nine years 

 from the fall of 1866 to the fall of 1874 $9,120 in, prizes, and it may also be 

 added that during the first fifteen years he bred Short-horns he received 

 from other breeders $2,570 for the use of bulls, a certain indication that they 

 were good ones. 



Mr. Pickrell says: "Just for curiosity at one time I computed the perio.d 

 of gestation of 100 cows in my herd. The shortest period was 256 days and 

 the longest 2% days (both cow calves), the average being 283 days." 



