40 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 



is an exceptionally elaborate and interesting compilation 

 of the early history of the breed and should be consulted. 

 Mention should be made here, however, of the so-called 

 " foundation " horse of the breed the Crisp horse, 

 foaled in 1768, and owned by a man of that name residing 

 in Sussex. His blood has been carefully preserved, and 

 only horses that are traceable to him are eligible for regis- 

 tration in the Suffolk Stud-book. Outside blood was 

 introduced in an effort to improve the Suffolk, but it had 

 little effect. Docility, prolificacy and length of life char- 

 acterize this breed. These horses have been much im- 

 proved in the last thirty years. 



38. History in America. Although it was first im- 

 ported to the United States in 1880, by Powell Brothers, 

 of Pennsylvania, yet the progress of the breed does not 

 seem to be at all commensurate with its merit. The 

 importations have been very slow and very small. In 

 1888, Peter Hopley & Co., of Iowa, and Galbraith Brothers, 

 of Wisconsin, made importations, and these parties have 

 since been the leading exponents of the breed in this 

 country. A large importation is reported as having been 

 made in 1903. Some other importations have been made 

 since, to Virginia and Texas. 



39. Description. The Suffolk is about sixteen and 

 one-half hands high, and weighs about two thousand 

 pounds (Figs. 7, 8). The color is exceptionally uniform, 

 and it is generally some shade of chestnut. 1 Breeders have 

 long adhered closely to a chestnut color. In general type, 

 it is a low-set, short-legged, deep-bodied, muscular horse, 

 with clean bone and durable feet. The feet were once 



1 Inasmuch as chestnut has been demonstrated to be a recessive 

 Mendelian character, the uniformly chestnut color of the Suffolk is 

 otherwise accounted for than by the prepotency of the original Crisp horse. 



