THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART XI. 629 



each, yet there are some drawbacks to their production. One is the lack 

 of vitality and endurance. Importers and producers of the best strains 

 of European draft stock concede this, and admit that they are not so strong 

 in these points as the lighter American breeds. It is seldom one sees a 

 grade draft horse that is of any use after reaching eighteen or twenty 

 years, while it is a fact, that in communities where the lighter American 

 breeds predominate one often sees horses ranging from twenty to thirty 

 years of age doing active service. It is no uncommon thing for dealers 

 to buy trotting or Morgan bred stallions or geldings twelve to sixteen years 

 old, teach them the high stepping art and sell them for seven to nine years 

 old, and the horse will look it, while the draft horse when he passes twelve 

 years of age generally shows age very fast. The farmer wishing to grow 

 a general purpose horse from his light mare should if he has light mares 

 patronize either the American trotter or the coach stallion and thus secure 

 a colt with a definite purpose. If the farmer has draft mares of large 

 size then by all means patronize the best stallion within reach. The best 

 of any type is none too good and a person will raise enough cheap stock 

 trying to produce the best. It is to be regretted that most of the best draft 

 mares were sold out of the country during the recent hard times and this 

 section never possessed many trotting or coach bred mares so at present 

 the majority of the brood mares are an inferior lot. Many farmers have 

 said to me during the past year that in a couple years horses will be as 

 cheap as ever, not worth raising. Let me submit some figures. Jan. 1, 

 1899, the census reports 16,000,000 head of horses; Jan. 1, 1901, the gov- 

 ernment reports show 11,000,000. Do you grasp the meaning of this? In 

 two years this country has used all the increase and 5,000,000 head of the 

 original stock. In 1899 there was only 21 yearling colts assessed for 

 taxation in Union township, one of the best townships in this county. In 

 1901 there was but 41 head of yearlings returned for taxation. Does that 

 indicate a surplus in the near future. The government officers whose duty 

 it is furnish horses for the army made a tour recently of the states and 

 territories known as the range country and they report the ranges prac- 

 tically cleaned up. So the farmer need have no fear of a break in prices 

 for some time unless the country suffers from a financial panic. But to 

 return to our subject. Having selected our brood mare or mares and mated 

 them with a proper sire the next is the care of the mare to foaling time. 

 Give the mare good care, good feed and moderate work. By moderate 

 work we do not mean the heavy end of all the heavy team work, for then 

 she is apt to be strained, the embryo foal lost, a good brood mare spoiled 

 and the owner of the stallion loses his fees. And right here let me say if the 

 breeder was as particular about living up to his part of a breeding contract 

 as the stallion owner is to execute his part of it this business would be more 

 satisfactory. When it comes near to foaling time the mare should be given 

 a roomy stall if she is due to foal early in the season, and at nights espe- 

 cially, and give her a reasonable amount of attention. If not due to foal 

 until warm weather comes on, turn out into a near-by pasture, but not 

 where the swine are or you may loose both mare and colt and if you work 

 the mare don't leave her tied up with the other horses or you may have 

 cause to swear the foal came dead when you are called on to settle your 



