SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VU. 



499 



Utility.— The draft liorses of France, more than those of any other 

 countries, have had a beneficial, ameliorating effect upon our native 

 horse stock. The Percheron breeds true to breed type, although indi- 

 vidual prepotence is somewhat lacking. He has become popular because 

 of his docile disposition, easy keeping qualities, clean hairless legs, 

 activity, and general adaptibility for many purposes upon the farm and 

 in the city. Percherons of the heaviest weight and largest frame beget, 

 from suitable mares, horses adapted for heavy draft purposes. In gen- 

 eral use he has also stocked the country with horses of somewhat 

 lighter build, including excellent expressers, farm chunks, and general 

 purpose animals. Where the blood of this breed predominates in a dis- 

 trict, no other breed should be used. Confined breeding in a right line 

 is highly advisable and will result in the production of practically 

 pure-bred horses of great usefulness and value. „ 



THE CLYDESDALE. 



This is the draft horse breed of Scotland and there has been bred 

 pure for many generations. It originated in the upper ward of the 

 County of Lanark, commonly called the Clydesdale district, and at the 

 present time is well disseminated throughout the country, while cer- 

 tain counties, notably those of the southwest, successfully rival the home 

 county of the breed in the production of high class animals. Heavy 

 black Flemish stallions, as with all other heavy draft breeds, were 

 freely used to found the Clydesdale, and indsiputable records show that 

 such horses were employed as early as 1715. Ever since then great 

 attention has been paid to the improvement of the breed and the preser- 

 vation of purity of blood and records of pedigree. The Clydesdale dis- 

 trict has been proved peculiarly adapted for the production of draft 

 horses characterized by exceptional quality of bone, muscle, tendon, and 

 hair, while hardihood, activity, vim, vigor, and endurance have been 

 the natural heritage of the environment. Color has been given much 

 attention, so that bay, or brown, with white markings now predominate, 

 while other colors, such as grey, chestnut, and black, are less com- 

 monly met with. So carefully have these horses been mated and so 

 honestly have all matters pertaining to pedigree been conducted, that 

 the purity of blood of recorded horses of the breed is beyond question 

 and assures a high degree of not only breed prepotency, but remark- 

 able individual prepotency, enabling the Clydesdale to transmit with 

 certainty his characteristics of color, s'ze, quality, temperament, con- 

 formation and action. Clydesdales were imported into Canada as earlv 

 as 1842 and ever since have successfully held the field against all 

 rivals, until this blood today permeates the entire draft stock of that 

 country. The breed was introduced in America somewhat later but 

 importations did not become common until 1880-81. In 1877 the Clydes- 

 dale Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded and a stud book 

 issued. The Clydesdale Society of America also was organized in 1877 

 and the first volume of its stud book appeared in 1882. 



Characteristics. — The typical Clydesdale stands 16 hands high and 

 over, weighs from 1800 to 2200 pounds, and is bay, brown, black or 



