INTRODUCTION 11 



kind the horse gives him his strength. By means of the 

 horse he subdues forests, emerges into new lands which 

 he makes into states, plows, plants and reaps fields of 

 maize or of wheat, drag harvests to the railways that 

 carry them, to the hungry peoples of the world. The 

 horse creates highways and maintains them, creates com- 

 merce, creates and carries food, fuel, clothing all the 

 things that go to make up the needs of man. While the 

 sheep comforts mankind and the cow nourishes, the horse 

 makes man what he is strong, swift, bold, daring. And 

 all this comes from the pasture. 



In the past we have not esteemed pastures as we should. 

 We have with our pastures an inheritance of neglect. In 

 the beginning when fields were carved with infinite toil 

 from forests, the maize was fenced, the wheat enclosed, 

 the animals were turned outside. That land which had 

 received no labor was made pasture. Since then we have 

 followed a like practice ; all our labor, all the manure, all 

 the lime and drainage, go to the plow land, the pasture 

 receiving nothing. The richest, most level and best- 

 drained lands are plowed ; what is too rough or too poor 

 or too wet is made into pasture. In the northern and 

 middle states grasses come of their own accord, so on 

 pastures none are sown. The owner knows little or noth- 

 ing as to the profit derived from this pasture. Very likely 

 he will tell you that it has no profit at all, only conven- 

 ience. Year by year the grasses grow of their own ac- 

 cord; they require no sowing, no expense save fencing. 

 No credit is given for gallons of milk produced from 

 this grass, for pounds of butter, for growth of young pigs, 

 colts, lambs and calves. The work horses run on the 



