EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 593 



engaged in the business extensively realized the largest profits, as high 

 as 100 per cent being made in raising wool and lambs. Every farmer, 

 however, had a flock principally to aiford wool for home consumption ; 

 any surplus was sold in the manufacturing markets, but it was not con- 

 sidered a paying business in this small way. With the aid of blue 

 grass pasture the cost of keeping w^as trifling, averaging not over 50 

 cents a head. 



At this time the French Merino had been introduced and was found 

 to do well in the southern partof the State, the Spanish Merino being 

 preferred in the northern part. The Saxon, the Ootswold, the Leicester, 

 and the Southdown had also been brought in, and it was observed that 

 all these sheep grew larger than in the older States and gave more wool 

 per head with the same care, and wool of good quality. Wool-growing 

 in all parts of the State received increased attention and flocks of from 

 600 to 3,000 multiplied, the Spanish Merino being the favorite. 



Some flue Merinos from Chautauqua County, N. Y., were introduced 

 into Stephenson County in 1853, and some full-blood French Merinos 

 were owned iu 1854 by Silas Hurd, of Ogle County. Southdowns were 

 increasing in 1854, and Eichard Wray, of McHenry County, imported 

 some Cotswold rams the same year. 



In 1857 the Illinois Stock Importing Association sent a committee to 

 England to buy improved stock, cattle more particularly. Among their 

 purchases were some flue Ootswold and Southdown sheep, which were 

 sold at auction in Springfield in August, 1857. Their dissemination 

 increased the popularity of the long and middle wooled sheep among 

 breeders, and the great war which soon followed by increasing the 

 demand for long coarse wools assisted the sales of the Leicester and 

 the Cotswold. Another stimulus to the business was the growing con- 

 sumption of mutton. 



The United States Census gives the number of sheep and pounds of 

 wool in the State from 1840 to 1860 as follows : 



Year. 



Sheep. 



Pounds of 

 "wool. 



1840 . 

 1850 . 

 1660 . 



395, 675 

 894, 043 

 769, 135 



650, 067 

 2, 150, 113 

 1, 989, 567 



In the last-named year, at shearing time, wool was a drug at 23 to 

 25 cents, the sheep market was low, and prices had ruled so low for 

 some years before that sheep were thought to be rather poor 

 property, and the number decreased to 731,379 in 1861. But in 1862-'63, 

 when wool went up to $1, even old men of experience paid $200, $300, 

 and $1,090 for one ram to build up a flock, as though the price of wool 

 never would come down and sell in three years for 25 cents, and hard 

 to find a market at that price. Sheep increased to 913,024 in 1862, and 

 to over 1,200,000 in 1863. The condition of sheep-husbaudry at this 

 22990 -38 



