SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 455 



annually decrease with an increase of traffic and a facility 

 of communication. 



The prices of wheat and Indian corn included in the pre 

 ceding statements, represent the general prices in Illinois at 

 the time of my visit ; and they were then low from the want 

 of commercial population. A change in this respect was, 

 however, then taking place, which has since progressed. 

 Steam grist-mills have been erected at Jacksonville and other 

 places, and pork-killers from Cincinnati* have established 

 themselves at Alton. Commerce has followed agriculture, 

 and the consequent competition must have the effect of en 

 hancing the price of farm produce. With an unlimited range 

 of pasturage for the rearing of cattle, and Indian corn at 

 fifteen cents, or seven-pence-halfpenny Sterling per bushel, 

 the farmer might comfortably live by stock, without cultiva 

 ting any portion of his land. 



Sheep husbandry has received considerable attention in 

 some parts of the United States of late years, although it is 

 generally imperfectly understood. The chief object with 

 flockmasters has been to improve the quality of wool, without 

 regard to the carcass of the animal, wool being much dearer 

 than mutton. Many of the sheep are of the Saxony or Me 

 rino blood, or a mixture of these breeds ; and their wool is 

 now selling at two shillings and sixpence sterling per pound. 

 This high price is owing to sheep husbandry being foreign to 

 the habits and tastes of American farmers, and the limited 

 funds and cleared surface possessed by forest settlers ; and, 

 perhaps, a thorough knowledge of the management of sheep 

 can only be acquired from practice. From these causes, the 

 demand for wool in the United States, with a rapidly increa 

 sing population, will, in all probability, long exceed the 

 supply. 



There is a general belief in Britain, that the American po 

 pulation dislike mutton, which is, however, certainly not the 

 case. I saw many a leg of mutton discussed at table during 

 my tour ; and was often assured that good hind quarters of 

 mutton sold as high as the best beef. Good beef is, however, 



* In 1833, 300,000 pigs were killed at Cincinnati. 



