464 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



fed from birth. Blood does its part, but feed must also be reckoned 

 with. 



Robbie's inquiring mind led him to ask father, a couple of years ago, 

 ;vhy it was that a two-year-old pure-bred draft stallion purchased for 

 $2,000, cost almost six times as much as could be secured for a grade 

 gelding that had just been sold; while a good young bull purchased a 

 short time before had cost only two and a half times the price of a 

 fat steer. The joint investigations of father and, son finally satisfied 

 them that it was because good pure-bred horses were fewer in proportion 

 to demand than pure-bred cattle, sheet or hogs. They also learned that 

 this scarcity was due in part to the fact that no special effort was made 

 to improve the draft stock of the United States until 1851, when Per- 

 cherons were imported; that practically no Shires or Clydesdales were 

 imported until 1870', and few Belgians until 1888. They found that eighty 

 Percheron stallions and mares had been imported prior to 1870 and that 

 only 4.000 had been brought over by 1884. It was apparent to both of 

 them that the breeding of draft horses in America has had only about 

 thi'^ty years of real development. 



They learned that the number of pure-bred draft horses was very 

 small in proport'on to the total number of horses in the United States; 

 th^t there are living only about 65,000 Percherons, 16,000 Clydesdales, 

 18,000 French Draft. 8,000 Shires. 7 000 Belgians, and about 1,000 Suf- 

 folks. or a grand total of only about 115,000 head of pure-bred draft horses, 

 when all draft breeds are considered. This means that there is but 

 one pure-bred draft animal to every 167 horses found on the farms and 

 ranges of the United States — a proportion so sMght that it is not sur- 

 prising that the percentage of good horses coming to market is appal- 

 lingly low. 



Reflect'on on these matters and due consideration of the fact that 

 there is a wider spread between the prices of grade and pure-bred draft 

 horse's than in other classes of live stock, led the senior member of 

 the firm to suggest that they get some pure-bred mares to help in the 

 farm work, and the suggestion was so heartily received by the junior 

 partner that four good pure-bred mares were straightway purchased. 

 Their value has already been demonstrated in farm work accomplished. 

 Two good yearlings and three foals test'fy to their matronly qualities, 

 and more mares are to be purchased, for the father believes that the 

 wo'k of breeding, rearing and training pure-bred draft horses is not 

 only profitable from a financial standpoint, but of value in developing 

 the best qualities, in his boys. 



A COMMUNITY HOBBY. 



BY CARL N. KENXEOY. 



(In The Homestead.) 



The community that makes its influence felt today is the community 

 with a hobby. Polk county, Iowa, is such a community. Its hobby 

 Is the draft horse. Alleman, a small town north of Des Moines, is the 



