662 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. U 



he test of acid?. There is no green sand — but it 

 has many shining particles, and a sulphureous 

 smell. It retains the impression of large shells 

 and some sharks' teeth, in astute of perfect sound- 

 ness, have been found. I have supposed that the 

 hardness of the teeth have resisted the 

 which decomposed the shells. On this sub;-: 

 Newton's essay in the Register is highly instruc- 

 tive. I have long thought that this pit contained 

 properties, fertilizing beyond lime. It does not 

 by the test, of acids exhibit lime equal to another 

 pit; yet. it has been uniformly quicker in its action, 

 and greater in its product. I am pleased that spe- 

 cimens of the gunpowder marl (bund in Virginia, 

 have been sent Professor Rogers. Agriculture 

 stands indebted to him for much useful informa- 

 tion. I left a specimen, taken from my pit, with 

 our Professor bucatel. If the properties, sug- 

 gested by Mr. Newton, shall be found in them, in 

 addition to my own personal benefit, I shall feel 

 gratified that this source of improvement is com- 

 mon to Virginia and Maryland. 



As this article contains little more than a state- 

 ment of facts, I have subjoined my name in at- 

 testation of their accuracy. 



WM. CARMICHAEL. 



Wye, Queen Anne Co., } 

 Md., Jan. 27th, 1836. $ 



IS THE REARING OF RACE HORSES A GAIN- 

 FUL OR LOSING BUSINESS IN VIRGINIA? 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



For some time past you cannot have tailed to 

 observe a vast increase of attention in Virginia 

 and elsewhere to the breeding of fine horses, es- 

 pecially, such as were designed for the turf. What- 

 ever may be my opinions on the subject of the 

 morality of such sports as the turf and its ordinary 

 accompaniments offer, I have no disposition to 

 obtrude them either upon you, or your readers. 

 .But as a lover of my state, as a friend to agriculture, 

 and a patron of all which I suppose can benefit out- 

 permanent interests, I propose to present a few 

 thoughts on the subject of raising fine horses. If 

 the business is never profitable, let none engage in 

 it. If it is ever profitable, let us ascertain to what 

 extent — and never exceed the limit thus furnished. 

 Are not too many now engaged in it, to allow any 

 very important advantage to accrue to the ma- 

 jority of those concerned? Admitting the business 

 to be ever so good, is it not over-done? Why, sir, 

 even the poor man, who owns but one animal of 

 the horse-kind, is taking his mare from the plough, 

 when he ought to be making bread for his family; 

 and paying sixty dollars a year, for the chance of 

 having her in foal by a high-blooded horse. 



In order to arrive at correct conclusions on the 

 subject, let the following or similar estimates be 

 made, and remembered. If they be inaccurate, let 

 them be corrected. In preparing this article, there 

 has been no intentional excess in any one esti- 

 mate. 



The average cost, by purchase, of a fine brood 

 mare, bought on reasonable terms, ma} r be assum- 

 ed to be $400. Suppose her to be put to the horse 

 when she is four years old, and she ought not to 



be put sooner; suppose her to live until she is six- 

 teen years old, which is a liberal estimate; and 

 suppose her to bring a live and sound coll, two 

 years out of three, so that in her life-time she 

 foals eight sound colts; then for each colt, she 

 brings you — must put down one-eighth of her ori- 

 ginal cost, which is $50. 



The interest on money, invested in a brood mare 

 until she brings you eight foals, at 5^50 each, 

 would be for the first year, at the end of which she 

 brings a colt, $24. Allowing her, according to the 

 foregoing estimate, to have but two good colts in 

 three years; you must lose the interest on $350 for 

 two years, before it, will be reduced to $300, which 

 interest is $42. The interest for the fourth vear is 

 $18— for the fifth and sixth years, it is $30— for 

 the seventh year it is $12 — for the eighth and 

 ninth years, it is $15 — for the tenth year it is 

 and for the eleventh and twelfth years, it is $6. 

 Being an average of interest on the purchase mo- 

 ney of the dam, before it is restored by eight colts, 

 at $50 each — (being two colts for every three 

 years — of a life sixteen years long, and twelve of 

 these years the mare being old enough to bring a 

 colt,) of more than $19 for each colt — the whole 

 amount of interest on the purchase money of the 

 dam, being $153. So that the average cost of a 

 dam to each colt, may be put down at $69. 



The average cost of keeping a brood mare one 

 year, including expenses of groom, &c, &c, &c. 

 cannot be less than $75 per annum. But as you 

 have to keep her twelve years so as to get eight 

 colls, you must charge to the estimated cost of'each 

 colt eighteen months — keeping of the dam which 

 is rather more than $102. The money expended 

 in keeping the dam for eighteen months before 

 each colt is dropped, will not be returned for four 

 years; at which time the colt will be in market, the 

 interest, on which money amounts to $24,50 cents, 

 (say $24.) So that you do pay, (breach good colt 

 dropped, in expenses for the dam alone $195. 



The average price of the best blooded stallions 

 for the season, is at. least $60. The range is from 

 $50 to $100. This money is payable at the end 

 of the season, at least six months before the colt is 

 dropped. But as the mare, even if put to the 

 horse, does not bring more than three colts for eve- 

 ry four times she is put; therefore, you must add 

 to each of every three, colts dropped, the third of 

 the price of the season when there was no colt, 

 which is $20; which added to the $60 makes $80. 

 Now as this money is paid at the end of each sea- 

 son, and the colts brought into market at lour years 

 old, you lose the interest on $80, for four years 

 and six months; which interest amounts to $21.60, 

 (say 21.) So that each good colt dropped, cost 

 you for the sire alone $101, which sum added to 

 the cost of the dam, gives a total for each good 

 colt dropped, of $296. 



Suppose the mare safely delivered of a fine 

 healthy colt, it costs you on an average for the two 

 first years' keeping $100 — and for the two succeed- 

 ingyears, without, training$150 — in all, for rearing 

 a colt until it is four years old, $250. The interest 

 or the cost of keeping the colt, being the first year 

 $40 — the second $60 — the third $75 — will amount 

 to $18,60, (say $18;) which added to precise cost 

 of keeping a colt is [§268. So that each untrained 

 colt of four years old, for expenses of dam, sire and 

 raising, has cost a total of $564. . 



But on an average you mus (deduct ten per cent. 



