658 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



applied and valuable in other ways. A second remedy almost as universal 

 and easier to apply is simply to recognize and encourage our friends, the 

 birds. Even though these means be used one will often have to resort 

 to more direct remedies. The success of most of these depends upon 

 their being applied properly and at just the right time. The farmer, 

 gardner or orchardist can better fit himself for combating the insect pests 

 of his crops by studying their life histories and he can make these a 

 most interesting study. Bulletins may be had for the asking from the 

 experiment stations and the United States Department of Agriculture. A 

 monthly list of all the publications of the department is sent to those 

 requesting it. From this one may send for such bulletins as interest him 

 when first published. Last of all, the agriculturist can help himself as 

 well as others, by encouraging and supporting the scientists who are 

 tediously working out the life histories of insects and the relation of 

 them to each other and to plants, and who are untiringly searching the 

 globe for the natural enemies of our most injurious imported insects. 



HORSE BREEDING ON THE FARM. 

 Wallaces' Farmer. 



There has been good money in growing horses for a number of years 

 past. There is likely to be good money in it in the future. The price of 

 horses will no doubt advance or decline in about the same ratio as any 

 other products; but the man who will engage in it intelligently and keep 

 right on will not be in danger of having the sheriff hang out the red flag 

 on ihis premises. 



What do we mean by intelligent horse breeding? First determine on 

 the kind of horses that you intend to grow. That will depend on your 

 tastes, on the character of the farm, on your ability as a trainer of horses, 

 and to some extent on the kind of horses usually grown in your section. 

 There is good money in growing coach horses, in growing saddle horses, 

 good money for the skillful trainer in growing trotters or roadsters. 



We believe the best money for the average farmer is in growing draft 

 horses, provided he has a good farm and knows how to handle it; for the 

 draft horse is not the product of the desert or of the mountain or of poor, 

 thin land in any country on the face of the earth. He must have rich 

 land that grows big, rich grass. 



If the farmer determines to grow draft horses, the next thing to do is 

 to fix on the breed. He may grow Percherons or Normans or Belgians or 

 Shires or Clydesdales or Suffolk Punch. The differences between these 

 types of horses is mainly the difference in their environmnt in their 

 native countrj\ All grow on rich land with plenty of bone-making mate- 

 rial. 



Which one of them he should select is a matter of taste and also a 

 matter of popularity in the neighborhood; but having selected one, we 

 would continue in that line. While there is less danger from cross-breed- 

 ing of the different types of horses mentioned than in cross-breeding in 

 other lines of stock, we would nevertheless stick as closely as possible 



