EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 591 



of rams have been sold from it to go into Texas, Colorado und California. 

 For many years Mr. Kelley was a large exhibitor of the Merinos at the 

 State fairs and carried away many of the premiums. When he com- 

 menced his flock it averaged 4J pounds of wool per head, in 1876 it 

 sheared 11 to 12 pounds on the average, and his best fleece cleaned 8| 

 pounds from 20J pounds unwashed wool. 



Improved breeds of sheep began to go into Illinois quite freely as 

 early as 1840, the Merino attracting the most attention. Previous to 

 that time wool-growing as a special branch of sheep husbandry received 

 scarcely any attention, and there was but little call for thoroughbred 

 sheep. Small flocks of 10 to 100 were kept all over the State. These 

 were the hardy, coarse-wooled sheep of the early settlers. They were 

 of no particular breed, though resembling the Leicesters, kept merely 

 to supply wool for home use and not for the market. The great tide 

 of emigration that set westward in 1840 stranded some of its strength 

 on the Illinois prairies. The rich grasses attracted attention as a par- 

 adise for sheep. Here it was thought was its natural home, where it 

 could fatten and thrive on rich grasses and cost next to nothing. 

 Growing wool was the high road to fortune, and many flocks were 

 driven into the State. Unfortunately, there was much to learn as to 

 prairie management of flocks, and while the lesson was being dearly 

 paid for, many sheep perished and there were heavy losses. In 1841 

 Mr. George Flower published a pamphlet on prairie management, in 

 which he pointed out the difficulties and risks to which flocks were ex- 

 posed in new counties, and which had prevented their rapid increase 

 upon any large scale in the southern part of the State. The wolf was 

 a great drawback, bxit the greatest loss was death from unknown 

 causes, which had swept away whole flocks newly brought into the 

 State, and dampened the ardor of the wool-grower. Many sheep were 

 purchased from drovers, which had been overdriven, and which laid 

 the foundation of disease. The dry, mild weather in autumn was often 

 accompanied with scanty herbage, and sheep rapidly declined unob- 

 served, the growth of wool concealing their poverty from an unprac- 

 ticed eye, and a mortal stroke was inflicted before the owner suspected 

 it. The flocks should not exceed 200 head to begin with, and must be 

 out at dawn of day and graze until late in the evening. "Where there 

 were no cultivated grasses large fields of early-sown rye, for winter 

 and early spring food, were recommended. Also oats, sown, perhaps, 

 in the same field where oats grew before, by ploughing the field imme- 

 diately after the crop is off, and sowing about a bushel to the acre. If 

 no cultivated grasses were provided for sheep to feed on in autumn, it was 

 difficult to keep up their condition m the latter part of the year. But 

 the greatest advantage was derived from blue grass, which, if inclosed 

 in June, would keep green all winter, and if a succession of pas- 

 tures were provided the sheep would do well uiion them all winter, and 

 only need feeding when the snow was frozen on the ground. The 

 diseases to which sheep were liable on the prairies of southern Illinois 



