,3 "GENERAL BEALE" " HEGTRA," "ISLAM," 



numbers of horses. The cause was one that interested every man, so 

 that if he could not give himself, he gave of horses the best he had. 

 Many and many were the horses I saw given by the farmers in this 

 country for seventy-five to one hundred dollars, which six months be- 

 fore they would have refused to sell to me for three hundred dollars, 

 as to a horse-dealer for market ; but they gave cheerfully at any price 

 named by the government, thinking to help the country. 



Up to this period our importations had been very limited; re- 

 stricted almost to thoroughbred race-horses, with at great intervals 

 an Arabian or two. The race-horses were to reinforce Kentucky's 

 thoroughbreds, while Arabians were usually presents to our Presidents 

 from the Egyptian or Turkish empires. 



Our war increased in magnitude, and horses became scarce. Resort 

 was had to Canada ; we also brought from Texas, New Mexico, and the 

 far West, large numbers of mustangs ; indeed anything that would wear 

 a harness and draw a plough or a load, was pressed into service. Many 

 farmers exchanged works, thus making one or two pairs of horses do 

 the labor upon three farms. In 1864 an uncle of my wife (Mr. John 

 W. Taylor, of East Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York, who bought 

 the third colt from Flora Temple's dam for the late R. A. Alexander, 

 of Kentucky), who was himself suffering for horses upon his farm, 

 went to Texas and New Mexico, bringing home one hundred and forty 

 head of mustang-horses of all ages. They were stallions and mares, 

 unbroken ; but as I have said, horses were so scarce that anything 

 would do, and these one hundred and forty head of mustangs were 

 soon scattered among the farmers in the count), valued at. that time, 

 but cursed in memory to-day, both in themselves and produce, for all 

 were bred that would breed. Now it is twenty years past, and why 

 has not the produce proved other than a waste of time and money 

 through breeding it? The Canada mares had been so mongrelized by 

 all grades of horses — the English thoroughbred, the English shire or 

 draught-horse, the Clyde and half-bred Percherons — that such mares 

 as came from Canada and were bred, proved but a trifle better than 

 the mustangs as producers ; of course, Canada did not sell us her best. 



Capital, always looking for investments, saw money in the importing 

 of good work-horses ; so the thoroughbred Percheron draught-horse 

 and the Scotch Clyde were brought in by sample lots. To-day, the 

 importation of these horses is considered one of the most profitable 

 investments by the importer; but is it treating our agriculturists 

 fairly? Is it justice to our farmers, burdened as we are with our war- 



