456 SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



to be had in almost every village, while good mutton is a rare 

 commodity, which is partly owing to the breeds of sheep, and 

 their want of food during winter. 



In a communication addressed to the State Agricultural 

 Society of New York, by Henry D. Grove, who resides in 

 Rensseller county, and is a native of Germany, Mr Grove 

 has, by his own account, devoted much attention to wool- 

 growing in Germany, and for five years in the State of New 

 York. In both countries his flock consisted of full-blooded 

 Saxon sheep, and he considers his situation in America, in 

 about forty-two and a half degrees of north latitude, superior 

 to Saxony for growing fine wool. I have no means of judg 

 ing between the merits of Saxony and the State of New York 

 as wool-growing countries ; but from what came under my 

 notice, I think there is no obstacle to sheep-farming in Ame 

 rica but what arises from the severity of the winter, which 

 might be obviated by providing shelter and food for the ani 

 mals. 



Mr Grove considers sweet dry pastures, pure water, and 

 pure air, as the chief essentials of wool-growing ; and as these 

 exist in many parts of Illinois, and may perhaps be made uni 

 versal by digging wells, there can be little doubt of its capa 

 bilities for sheep husbandry. Not having seen a sheep while 

 in Illinois, I cannot determine if the prairie grasses are calcu 

 lated to maintain this animal ; but as horses and cattle thrive 

 well on them, it is probable sheep will likewise do so. If, 

 however, this should be found not to be the case, it would be 

 an easy matter to convert the prairie into pasturage, composed 

 of clovers and other grasses, by sowing their seeds. The win 

 ters in the southern parts of Illinois are so short, that no great 

 quantity of food would be required to maintain sheep while 

 the ground was covered with snow ; and the facility with which 

 Indian corn is raised, would render a supply easily attained, 

 if the cultivation of turnip was found unsuitable. There can 

 be no. doubt of potatoes and turnips being easily preserved 

 during winter. 



I have no certain means of ascertaining the duration of an 

 Illinois winter in latitude 39. Mr Stuart says he found the 

 cattle in this meridian, on reaching the State, fat on the 29th 



