592 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



were liver-rot and foot-rot; the former, says Mr. JFlower, caused by 

 " suffering sheep to pasture on land that is overflowed with water; 

 even a crop of green oats, early in the fall before a frost comes, has 

 been known to rot young sheep." 



One of the earliest wool-growers of Illinois was Mr. A. B. McConnell, 

 who, prior to 1844, had raised sheep for many years in the State of New 

 York. "When he first saw Illinois he thought that the prairies would 

 never do for sheep, as he was imbued with the idea then prevalent that 

 these animals needed a hilly country. But his experience taught him 

 otherwise and proved that sheep were not liable to contract diseases ou 

 prairie soils, and the foot-rot that made such havoc East did not con- 

 tinue the second summer on the prairies. In the summer of 1844 his 

 son, John McConnell, drove from New York to Sangamon County a large 

 flock of Spanish Merinos, the first in that county and section of the 

 State, and the foundation of the fine-wooled flocks for which the county 

 was noted. They took three months to drive. When this and other 

 pioneer flocks were introduced labor and land were in a very depressed 

 condition all over the West, and a great portion of the lands were un- 

 fenced, so that free pasturage could be had in any part of the county. 

 As flocks increased lands advanced in value, from outside causes, and 

 large tracts were fenced or hedged in, driving the flocks onto lands of 

 value, and adding to the cost of feeding. The flock of Mr. McConnell in 

 1856 was the largest in the United States, numbering over 21,000 head 

 of what was said to be the choicest Merinos. 



In 1843 Truman and Isaac Harvey began wool-growing in Lasalle 

 County, by driving trom Columbiana County, Ohio, 2,300 sheep. Of 

 these they let and sold all but 1,200, for half the wool and half the 

 lambs. The first year the flock averaged 3 pounds of wool per head. 

 They procured good rams at $10 each in Ohio, which they put with the 

 flock, said to have been full-blooded Merinos, and also a ram from S. W. 

 Jewett, of Vermont. 



In 1848 Charles T. Hoppin bought, in Madison County, N. Y., 1,000 

 fine Merino ewes, and drove them to Sangamon County. These ewes 

 were bred to Ohio rams, and subsequently to Vermont ones, Mr. Hop- 

 pin having purchased a car load of straight Hammond rams and ewes, 

 from which he subsequently bred his flock, breeding pure Atwood rams 

 to the whole flock. Sheep from this flock were very prominent at State 

 fairs in after years, and they laid the foundation of other noted flocks. 

 In 1863 Charles Gihnan, of Montgomery County, made a purchase of 

 some of the Hoppin sheep, and bred a pure flock. Prom Mr. Gilman's 

 flock, A. J. Uhl, of Virden, 111., formed a flock in 1866, which was 

 moved that year to Missouri, and in 1870 to Butler County, Kans., 

 where it became the property of E. Copeland & Son, in 1881. 



Sheep increased rapidly to 1850, and there were some large flocks. 

 Bishop Chase had 2,000, C. Stone the same number, and others bred 

 from 1,000 to 2,000 each. Raising sheep for wool was considered the 

 most profitable branch of industry for the farmer. The few who had 



