62 A MEEINO FLOCK. 



economise labour 100 per cent, and a chain-bucket pump, an 

 extremely simple, cheap and efficient article. 



I drove a few miles out of town to visit the farm of Mr. 

 M'Connell, who was recommended to me by the Governor of 

 the State as a man of great intelligence, integrity, and expe 

 rience. I walked and drove over his farm, examined his stock, 

 and received from him very clear and distinct information. He 

 is a practical man who has been all his life engaged in farm- 

 ing, and has fought his way up to a very comfortable inde- 

 pendence. He left "the old country" in 1811, farmed in a 

 small way for thirty years in the state of New York, where he 

 first settled, and moved thence to Illinois seventeen years ago. 

 He had always preferred sheep-farming, and brought his small 

 flock of merinos with him. They have been remarkably healthy, 

 increase one-third every year, and his flock now numbers 

 25,000. His fleeces average four to five pounds each, and the 

 wool sells for Is. 8d. to 2s. a pound. He bought his farm at 

 \l an acre, and could now sell it at 10Z., as it is in a good po- 

 sition near the capital of the State. But he is so firmly per- 

 suaded of the rapidly growing wealth of this fine- State, that he 

 has no doubt of his farm being worth 20 L an acre a few years 

 hence. He considers the land for 100 miles round Springfield 

 to be the best in the world. 



Mr. M'Connell sends his flock to the open prairies in April, 

 places about twelve hundred under the charge of one shepherd, 

 who tends them and supplies them with salt. They need no 

 other food for six months. He brings them to his enclosed 

 ground in winter, and gives them hay when they need it, and 

 a little corn. His flock has never suffered from any epidemic, 

 but on the contrary have been extremely free from disease. 

 His original flock grew one-fourth in weight and size after be- 

 ing brought from New York State to this better soil. He 

 prefers the merino to the South Down for this climate and soil, 



