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California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



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More System 



Wanted 

 Horses. 



In Breeding 



N our last number no less than three cor- 



resiJoucleuts suggest that our breeder are 

 overlooking form anil action and running 

 to mere size. By one of these intelligent 

 observers it is insisted that, oven in draft 

 horses, it is not profitable to make everything 

 Bub-iervient to mere weight. 



The English agricultural horse, so called, 

 is usually the large black eart horse, weighing 

 1,500 to l,yO0 pounds, and sometimes even 

 more. The Clydesdale is nearly as heavy, 

 with a litlle more style and action. These 

 hoi'ses, or the heavy Nornious, have never 

 been classed as agricultural horses with us. 

 American farmers cannot use horses that are 

 too heavy to make six or eight miles au hour 

 on the road. 



Why then, it may be asked, are the heavy- 

 draft horses of the three varieties above men- 

 tioned so generally patronized by our far- 

 mers? 



There are two reasons for it. First, and 

 most important, is the undeniable fact that 

 in many parts of the country the half-bred 

 draft stock sells for more money, and may be 

 brought to market at an earlier age, than any 

 other strain the farmer can breed. They will 

 sell at three to four years old at from $200 to 

 $300, while a good, well-made and well-bred 

 road or saddle horse will hardly make igl.50, 

 unless he have something to indicate extra 

 speed. 



It is probable the draft stock eat more, the 

 amount consumed by all animals being gener- 

 ally in proportion to their size. But they are 

 less liable to accidents than horses of better 

 blood, more easily handled and are fit for 

 market without being broken at all. 



We may therefore philosophize as we please 

 — point out the excellence of well-bred stock 

 for the saddle and the road, and even for gen- 

 eral purposes — the fact remains that the 

 heavy sort will make the most money for the 

 farmer when he puts them upon th^ market; 

 and therefore he breeds them. 



How long this demand for draft horses will 

 continue to equal of very rapinly-increasing 

 supply, we will not pretend to predict. To 

 avoid loss when the decline does come, we 

 would advise the intelligent farmer to keep up 

 his old stock of well-bred, general-purpose 

 horses. These he can always use, and they 

 will be sure to yay their way, on the road or 

 on the farm ; and the produce of well-formed 

 marcs of this sort 15 to IG hands high, not 

 too long in the leg, from stout, thoroughbred, 

 or nearly thoroughbred stallions, will always 

 be in demand at some price. 



In reference to the suggestion of one of 

 our correspondents, that we should select 

 draft stallions of more action and less size 

 than has been the prevailing custom of late, 

 we are of the opinion that the time has come, 

 even in this class of horses, that we must 

 look to the form and movement, as well as 

 weight. 



It we were going to breed to a draft stal- 

 lion, we should certainly' select one of the 

 smaller size, with bony, clean cut head, well 

 set on a properly-formed neck, fiat legs and 

 general conformation indicative of action, m 

 Ijreferenee to a large, heavy-headed one, with 

 low, thick and upright shoulders, large, round 

 legs, etc. ; thungh it must be confessed that 

 horses of this latter description have been 

 bringing quite as high prices in the mar- 

 ket as any others. But we think it will hardly 

 do to depend upon tljis as a permanent feat- 

 ure in the draft-horse market. Gradually 

 form and action, and even style, will attract 

 attention here, as in other classes. 



It will he observed that we have only spok- 

 en of what the fnrmtv has been doing, and 

 the probability of his future operations in 

 breeding horses. 



We have not referred to the professional 



breeders, who, for the most part are handling 

 only thoroughbreds or trotting stock. As to 

 these, we would respectfully direct their at- 

 tention to the great need there is, and the 

 gi'eat demand we may soon expect, for well- 

 bred stallions for breeding good horses of the 

 general-purpose class. Cannot these gentle- 

 men, who have so much taste for the best 

 type of that wonderful animal known as the 

 thoroughbred horse, work out the great prob- 

 lem of producing from this matchless blood 

 the basis for a great strain of general-purpose 

 horses? — NalioiuiX Lice Stock Journal. 



The Poor Mule. — The amount of fa- 

 tigue, exposure, and abstinence, which a 

 muie will endure, says a writer, seems al- 

 most fabulous. Making long marches 

 across du.sty, shadoless plains, going for 

 long intervals without water and with 

 very little food, obliged to pull loads 

 sometimes amoimting to five thousand 

 two hundred pounds, up steeji hills and 

 through heavy sloughs, subject to cruel 

 treatment and neglect from tlio teamster, 

 the life of an expedition mule is misera- 

 ble enough. No wouder when the mule 

 returns ho looks woefully angular and 

 tliin. The poor animal is frequently 

 driven until he completely gives out, 

 when he is thanklessly turned into tho 

 herd of broken down mules. 



There is scarcely a more melancholy 

 sight than such a herd. It is a moving 

 bone-yar 1. Gaunt, lean, with drooping 

 ears, hips that rise like promontories 

 above the general desolation, a disconso- 

 late tail, and a woebegone vssage which 

 would frighten an experienced ghost — 

 the poor bankrupt mule is the most 

 wretched parody on Gothic architecture 

 that ever was forced on the public atten- 

 tion. Every vestige of meat has fled from 

 his bones. He is a walking transparency, 

 an animated hat-rack, and I have actually 

 seen his Lip bones irreverently used to 

 hang teamsters' hats on. 



During our homeward march from the 

 Black Hills, more than one such starved 

 victim laid down his tired frame on the 

 earth that had refused to nourish him, 

 and the benediction of a soldier's bullet 

 called the raven and coyote to a meal 

 which it cost the Government one hund- 

 red and forty dollars to procure. 



The following horso talk is, at least, 

 rational and worthy of consideration: Sup- 

 pose you were in the harness, and I were 

 in the wagon; I had the whip and you the 

 traces, what an ardent advocate you would 

 be for kindness to the irrational creation? 

 Do not let the blacksmith drive the nail 

 into the quick when he shoes me, or burn 

 my fetlocks with a hot tile. Do not mis- 

 take the "dead-eye" that nature put on 

 my foreleg for a wart to be exterminated. 

 Do not cut off my tail short in fly time. 

 Keep the north wind out of our stables. 

 Care for us at some other time than dur- 

 ing the epizootics so that we may see 

 your kindness is not selfish. My dear 

 friends, our interests are mutual. I am 

 a silent jiartner in your business. Under 

 my sound hoof is the diamond of national 

 prosperity. Beyond my nostrils tho 

 world's progress may not go. With 

 thrift and wealth and comfort I daily race 

 neck and neck. Be kind to me, if you 

 want me to be useful to you. 



Caee of Houses. — The London FTorse 

 Book says: All horses must not be fed in 

 the same proportion, without regard to 

 their ages, their constitution and their 

 work; because the impropriety of such a 

 practice is self-evident. Yet it is constantly 

 done, and is the basis of diseases of every 

 kind. 



Never use bad hay on account of the 

 cheapness, because there is no proper 

 uourisemont in it. 



Damaged corn is exceedingly injurious 

 because it brings on inflammation of the 

 bowels and skin diseases. Chaff is better 

 for old horses than hay, because they can 

 chew and digest it bettor. 



When a horse is workinl hard its food 

 should be chiefly oats; if not worked hard 

 its food should chietly be hay, because 

 oats supply more nourishment and fiesh- 

 making material than any other kind of 

 food, hay not so much. 



Hack feeding is wasteful. The better 

 plan is to feed with chopped hay, from a 

 manger, because the food is not then 

 thrown out, and is more easily chewed 

 and digested. 



Sprinkle the hay with -water that has 

 salt dissolved in it, becaiise it is pleasing 

 to the animal's taste and more easily di- 

 gested. A teaspoonfulof salt in a bucket 

 of water is sufficient. 



Reminded Her of Her Mother. 



The beggar who asked alms of a jihiloa- 

 opher on the plea that he was his brother, 

 "counting back to Adam," and received a 

 penny ami the kind wish that all the rest 

 of his "brothers" would give him as 

 much, presumed rather too far on his re- 

 lationship. But natural fellow-feeling is 

 a virtue that ought never to be smothered 

 in the human breast, and often it draws 

 the poor and the suffering very near to 

 us, prompting beautiful benevolence and 

 tender deeds. 



A lady was riding in her carriage among 

 the mountains, when they came upon an 

 old woman with a funny little hood on 

 her head and a staff' in her hand, walking 

 on all alone. She was neat and clean, and 

 her skin soft and delicate, but her back 

 was bent and she was farefoot. The lady 

 saw she was shoeless and stopped the car- 

 riage. 



" Here is some money," said the lady, 

 in a tender tone. 



" What for ?" said the woman, looking 

 ing up pleasantly. 



". To buy shoes for your jjoor feet. Do 

 you want a jjair of shoes ?" 



The woman laughed a little low laugh, 

 which seemed to come from a heart lilled 

 with simple, happy thoughts. 



" Don't you want a pair of shoes?" asked 

 the lady, a little hurt. 



" I s'pose I do," said tUe woman; " but 

 I didn't think of anybody's giving 'em to 

 me." 



" Take this bill, please, and buy you a 

 pair," said the lady. 



" God bless and reward you!" answered 

 tho woman, heartily. 



The carriage drove on, and the lady 

 sank back on the seat, with tears in her 

 eyes. 



" Oh," said she, " I thought I saw my 

 own mother in that dear old lady. She 

 had just such a sweet face and pleasant 

 voice. You don't kuow how I felt when 

 I thought of my mother, old and feeble, 

 walking with bare feet over tho rough, 

 rocky road." 



If we all saw fathers and inothers, sis- 

 ters and brothers, in the poor and the 

 hungry, what a world this would soon be! 

 -E.cchaiif/e. 



"1 thought you were born on the first 

 of April," said a husband to his lovely 

 wife, who had mentioned the 21st as her 

 birthday. " Most beople would think so 

 from the choice I made of a husband," 

 she replied. 



