194 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



his life in trotting, but in growing. That is the business of 

 the colt. When he gets older, we shall feed him differently. 

 Now I am coming to my question. If you have a winter 

 colt, the first thing is to see that that colt has enough nitrogen 

 and enough phosphate to grow, and timothy hay does not 

 give it. Our breeders are finding out that they can grow a 

 Hambletonian from ten to twenty per cent larger than the 

 ordinary Hambletonian, simply by following that line in 

 feeding. I can give you the name of a man who will do it. 

 He will breed a Hambletonian that at two years old will 

 measure sixteen hands. He gives his colts plenty of exercise 

 when he is feeding them. So that it is not all in breeding ; 

 there is something in keeping. 



Now, Mr. Winslow, what I want to ask is this : Why not 

 breed a colt in the fall, instead of in the spring? Why not 

 improve on nature's method, and direct the energies in a 

 better channel by having the colt dropped in the fall, when 

 there are no flies, when we have plenty of time and oppor- 

 tunity to take care of 'it in a box stall; and when we have 

 plenty of roots stored up for the mare? Any man who 

 knows how to make a cow give milk, will know how to 

 make a mare give milk for a colt. Why not teach that colt 

 to eat so that it can depend upon itself in the spring? We 

 shall have no colt then to follow after the mare, if we want 

 to use her. The colt will go onto fresh grass in the spring, 

 when he is cutting his teeth ; he will do that every year, cut 

 his teeth on grass instead of timothy hay ; and when he 

 comes out in the spring he will not have hair several inches 

 long on his abdomen until June. Now, why shall we not 

 make a change in this matter? You are an expert in this 

 direction. We have practiced this plan with very great 

 success. 



Mr. Winslow. That is a practice that is being adopted 

 of late. I have two mares that are served to foal next fall. 

 I cannot tell you anything about it from my own experience, 

 but a good many tell me that they do not like it very well, 

 because the colt sheds his hair at the wrong time of year ; 

 and they think he does not grow as well in winter, with the 

 best care, on account of the cold, as he does in summer. 

 But, as I say, I know nothing about it ; I simply state 



