THE BUSINESS HORSE. 239 



THE BUSINESS HORSE. 



By Thomas Daggett, Foxcroft, Member of the Board for Piscataquis 



County. 



I feel that an apology is due from me for appearing before you 

 upon this subject, a subject with which I presume you are all familiar, 

 and which has been talked upon and written about as much and perhaps 

 more than any one subject that interests the farmers of Maine. And, 

 3'et, through ignorance of business many are failing to realize an^^ con- 

 siderable amount of profit, which a thorough knowledge of the details 

 of the business would certainly ofive those engaged in it. This is a 

 business which is engaging the attention of the farmers of this State 

 more, perhaps, than any one occupation which is being pursued. 

 There is one thing that will recommend this paper and will give you 

 great pleasure and satisfaction, and that is its brevity. T do not 

 purpose at this time to inflict upon you a long and useless eulogy on the 

 horse, his uoefulness or his natural or acquired abilities. But what I 

 purpose to do in the little time I shall occupy, is to throw out some 

 practical hints and suggestions (or what appear to me to be practical, 

 after years of hard study and sometimes bitter experiences), for 1 

 claim that there is no business, however intelligent or well read a 

 person ma}' be, or how well versed in the scientific principles of that 

 business, or however much they may believe in certain theories and 

 dogmas, in which he may succeed bv this knowledge alone. In fact, 

 there is no royal road to success b}' a mere application of a few 

 theoretical ideas gathered from cranks and speculative schemers. 



The only sure way to success, I believe, as applied to agricultural 

 pursuits is by a thorough knowledge of scientific principles combined 

 with practical experience. The business of horse raising is one 

 that is carried on to a large extent all over the State of Maine, and 

 yet it is perplexing to some, annoying to others and a continual drain 

 upon the pockets of many ; while to quite a percentage of those en- 

 gaged in the business it is a pleasure and a source of pecuniary 

 benefit. 



The people of this State are taking hold of this industry with re- 

 newed energy and with steadily increasing knowledge and understand- 

 ing of the business, also with increased facilities for intelligently 

 carrying on and conducting an enterprise of such magnitude. Yet, 

 after all, is it not strange that the demand far exceeds the supply ; 



