282 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



used for growing grass, for hay and pasture, 

 wheat, oats and similar crops. But their leading 

 and most profitable industry was the rearing of 

 horses for the city market and for export. The 

 work stock on nearly every farm consisted of brood 

 mares which were used not only for tilling the 

 land but for raising colts as well. These were 

 usually sold when old enough to wean for from 

 $100 to $200 apiece. Why the American farmer 

 does not adopt this practice in a modified form 

 during the winter months when the work stock is 

 idle, is more than I can figure out, since we have 

 good barns and often plenty of preserved, suc- 

 culent forage in winter. 



In the fall these French colts are sold, the fillies 

 to one dealer and the colts to another who may 

 keep them for from one to three years, when they 

 are again sold to other dealers or to farmers for 

 use on the light sandy land. They are often put 

 to work at two years of age. Sometimes they are 

 sold and resold several times while they are being 

 fitted and pushed along towards their final destina- 

 tion. The lot of horses which I first inspected con- 

 sisted of about twenty stallions which were being 

 used occasionally to till the large farm and all of 

 which were for sale. I may explain that in France 



