90 IOWA DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



months old. Has this mare paid her way? The owner is a most en- 

 thusiastic breeder of pure bred swine, but ho informed me last week 

 that pure bred mares were even better property than pure bred sows. 



I could cite you many other instances of a simila;- nature. Someone 

 will say, but it is very easy to overdo this pure bred mare business. 

 Has it ever occurred to you that in Iowa, the leading draft horse State in 

 the Union, we have but one horse registered or eligible to registration for 

 every 150 that are not registered? It will take some time to overdo this 

 business. There is no good reason why our farmers should not keep pure 

 bred mares of the very highest rank, and then by the judicious selection 

 of sires produce home bred draft horses the equal, if not the superior, to 

 that produced in any other part of the world. We have made good in 

 cattle, in sheep, and in swine, so why net make good in horses? 



This is a line of work which should receive more encouragement from 

 our fair associations. While liberal premiums should be awarded for all 

 classes of animals, more attention should te given to the home bred 

 animals, and more especially those produced on the farm of the man 

 with comparatively small means. It is the so-called average farmer that 

 makes a county, a state or a nation, thus his interests are worthy of the 

 most careful consideration of those entrusted with the management of 

 the various county, state and national live stock shows. 



The President : This paper is before you for discussion. 



A i\lEMBER: What could the average farmer pay for a pair of 

 good mares? 



Mr. Kennedy : I think from >r800 to $1.C00. A real good mare, 

 three or four years old will sell perhaps for $500. You will have 

 to pay $400 to get anything worth while. 



Question : I would like to ask what family of a draft horse 

 you would prefer? 



]\Ir. Kennedy: That is a question which largely depends upon 

 preference. I think it is a pretty good business policy, in any line 

 of work, to produce what is demanded in the community. If you 

 are in a locality where they are breeding Percherons, breed them ; 

 if on the other hand yoii are in a neighborhood where there is no 

 demand for them, breed something else for which there is a de- 

 mand. I would say that another breed of horses that is gaining 

 in popularity in the United States and in this State, is the Bel- 

 giums. The principal objection to the Shire horse is, that it is a 

 very heavy boned horse, and you all know that a straight bone aids 

 in selling a horse. I may say that I had a letter two or three 

 weeks ago from Mr. Robinson, in central Kansas, probably one of 

 the largest breeders in the central west. i\Ir. Robinson started with 

 ten mares, Percherons, ten years ago, and a year ago he sold $70,000 



