30 ENGLISH SHIRES. 



Importation to America has been slow. No very large importations 

 had been made up to eight or ten years ago ; but since that time, west- 

 ern farmers have found out their peculiar worth, and the demand thus 

 created has led to great activity in importing circles. The American 

 Shire Horse Association has been lately organized, with C. Burgess, of 

 Wenona, 111., secretary. The first volume of the English Stud Book 

 for Shire or Cart Horses was published in 1880, since which time some 

 seven volumes have appeared a fact which in itself illustrates the 

 remarkable demand upon English breeders to supply registered Shire 

 stock for American shipment. 



DESCRIPTION AND CHARACTERISTICS . 



The full description given of the Clydesdale in preceding chapter, 

 with some few changes, may be accepted as a correct description of the 

 English Shire. Colors are about the same, with, perhaps, a predomi- 

 nance of blacks, browns and bays ; but the darker shades of gray, both 

 dappled and steel or iron gray, are more frequently met with. The 

 "blaze," or bald face, and white feet and stockings, are marks common 

 to both Shire and Clyde, and the same is true of the long hair at and 

 above the fetlocks, commonly known as the "feather." English 

 breeders adhere with rigid tenacity to their faith in purity of blood, as 

 shown by the feather; while American importers and breeders are as 

 surely convinced that the feather is not only worthless but positively 

 injurious, by reason of keeping the feet in foul condition unless carefully 

 cleaned and attended to. We can honestly admire the silken fringe of 

 soft feather, but we must express our belief that its absence would 

 detract nothing from the value of either Shire or Clyde. In point of 

 size, the English Shire is larger of the two, and has, perhaps, less of that 

 American objection daylight underneath. Importers, however, as a 

 rule, have brought over the more compact and stylish Shires, and it is 

 commonly no little trouble to decide by simple judgment of the indi- 

 vidual, whether the animal is Clyde or Shire. (Compare, also, illustra- 

 tions of the two breeds.) 



In the South the Shires are little known, and we can say nothing as 

 to their relative merits in our warm climate ; but in the West they are 

 becoming more popular with each succeeding year, and have an assured 

 future along with the other draft breeds. 



