Farmers' Week in Agricultural College. 189 



draft some form of stallion laws to be presented to the State Legislature 

 at some future time. Now this, in brief, is what has been done up to this 

 time. 



Now, gentlemen, as to its purpose : It is and will be just what we 

 make it. A united body of men, such as are directly and indirectly 

 interested in the draft horse business in this great Missouri common- 

 wealth, are capable of doing things that will increase the interest and the 

 demand for the drafter in this State of ours. We can, no doubt, in this 

 way secure stallion laws that will deliver us, as a State, from being a 

 dumping ground for culls and horses of inferior quality, as well as blood 

 lines, by some unscrupulous dealers of other states that have such strenu- 

 ous laws as to prohibit their sale or public service in their own state. 

 We can become better acquainted with each other, and by such acquaint- 

 ance we will be of great mutual benefit to one and another in a common, 

 and I might say a very worthy calling, for I think we might well bo 

 proud to call ourselves "Missouri Draft Horse Breeders." 



We can have breeders' sales, wherein the small breeder can have 

 an outlet for his stock and realize fully on the merits of the animal. In 

 sales of this kind the man who breeds but few is on a par, so far as num- 

 ber is concerned, with the man who breeds them in greater numbers. 



There are a great many things we can accomplish if we will. It is 

 clearly up to us. Will we stand together and do what is best for us? 

 As a matter of fact what is best for us along this line is best for the 

 State at large. I do not want to be deemed guilty of "blowing my own 

 horn," but want to impress this upon you, gentlemen, that the man who 

 breeds pure bred draft horses is and should be considered a public bene- 

 factor, and this should especially apply to Missouri. Breeders of cattle, 

 hogs, sheep, and even poultry, organize, and for the most part are suc- 

 cessful. Why should we not organize 1 I consider the horse the noblest 

 of all living creatures except the human race itself. 



Missouri is conceded to be a great State and the draft horse is a very 

 profitable product to raise, and can and in fact is to a limited extent 

 being grown in Missouri as good as anywhere. Why not increase the 

 interest and demand for them here. Every farmer in Missouri needs and 

 should have one or more teams of draft mares. No investment would 

 bring better returns. They need them to do their farm work, handle 

 their improved machinery, so necessary now for the modern, up-to-date 

 farmer, as well as raise the big husky foals that they are so proud to own, 

 and which their less fortunate neighbor almost covets, and which are al- 

 ways in demand at more than remunerative prices. These youngsters 



