THE GENESEE FARMER. 



71 



POUTRAIT OP A CLXDESDALK STALLION, DRAWN BY THOMAS LANDSEBB. 



DBAUGHT HOBSES. 



Bela Dunbar, of North Chili, writes us in refer- 

 >nee to the remarks of the Maine Farmer, copied 

 nto the Genesee Farmer for January, to the effect 

 ;hat a 900-lb. horse is preferable for most work on 

 he farm and the road to a heavier horse. He 

 ;akes strong exceptions to this. He thinks that 

 nost farmers in tJiis vicinity will agree with him 

 'that 900-lb. horses are of no great utility for all 

 di)ds of work on the farm. They are very well 

 or tlie roatl, but are not profitable for the farm." 



We are glad to perceive an increased desire on 

 be part of farmers for heavier ami stronger horses. 

 )ur horses are, as a rule, too light and slender — too 

 oug in tije leg and too light in the shoulder. 



In this connection we tliink it will be interesting 

 o give some extracts from Stephens' Book of the 

 Farm in regard to the desirable points La draught 

 lorses. We do not think that the heavy English 

 ind Scotch horses are suited tn the requirements of 

 American farmers. They are too heavy. In fact the 

 «ndency in England for some years has been to- 

 wards lighter and more active horses. But we 

 mve gone to the opposite extreme, and it should 

 )e onr aim to introduce a breed of horses better 

 ixlapted to the heavy work of the farm. 



In the Genesee Farmer for January we gave an 



article on the points of a Short- horn bull and eo>v. 

 Applying the same points to horses, Mr. Stephens 

 gives the accompanying cut (Fig. 1) of a gray geld- 



FIG. 1— THE DRAUGHT HORSE. 



ing, the property of Howey & Co., the great car- 

 riers from Edinburgh into England, and says : 



He was not a thorough-bred Clydesdale, hav- 

 ing a daj?h of coacliing blood in Jiim, a species ot 

 farm-horse very much in use on the Borders, ami 

 admired for their action and spirit. This gelding 

 exhibits such a form as to constitute, in my estima- 

 tion, the vt-ry perfection uf wliat a fjirai-horae 

 should be. His head a is small, bone clean, eyes 

 prominent, muzzle fine, and ears set upon tho 

 crown of the head. His neck risee with a fine 

 crest from the trunk 5 A to a, and tapers to the 

 head, which is beautifully set on the neck, and 

 seems to be borne by it with ease. His limbs taper 

 gradually from the body, and are broad and flat" 

 indicating strength ; the knee Jc is straight, broatl' 

 and strong, and the fore-arm i broad and flat— all 



