Horses at the Xew York State Fair 197 



owners were shown in the Percheron chisses at last year's fair; 

 it may well be doubted if an exhibit of higher character was made 

 at any state fair held last fall, even where the big professional 

 stables which toured the country were shown. The Belgians, too, 

 were a most notable exhibit, thirty representatives of this breed 

 from the stables of six Xew York State owners being shown. 



The exliibits of these two breeds by the Adirondack Farms 

 and Heart's Delight Farm were of exceptionally high character, 

 and they furnished an object lesson to the hundreds of farmers 

 who w^atched the judges place the awards — a lesson that will 

 make itself felt in a substantial way in the near future. This 

 proof that Xew York can produce horses of equal quality to those 

 produced in any other state resulted in the purchase of stallions 

 of those breeds by a large number of farmers, during or directly 

 after the fair. These stallions, going to different parts of the 

 state, will stimulate draft horse breeding in a degree not hereto- 

 fore noticeable. 



1 cannot forego, in this connection, mention of the instructive 

 exhibits showing the utility qualities of heavy draft horses in 

 business, made by the George Urban ]\rilling Co. of Buf- 

 falo. This firm showed, in the single, double, triple, four-in- 

 hand and six-in-hand hitches, heavy draft horses such as the 

 market in the cities of this state are calling for. In answer to 

 queries made by farmers as to the prices paid for these horses, it 

 was stated that they cost from $275 to $375 each in the open 

 market, solely for business purposes. The lessons demonstrated 

 by this company's exliibit in the breeding classes were driven home 

 in no uncertain manner. 



LIGHT HARA'ESS HORSES 



The breeding classes for light harness horses at the State Fair 

 did not attract so many entries as the heavy draft classes, for 

 the reason that the advent of the automobile has, to a very great 

 degree, destroyed the market for road horses. While the Stand- 

 ardbred trotter will ever be bred for turf purposes, it will be 

 principally by breeders who possess a thorough knowledge of the 

 principles of breeding and their relation to the production of 

 speed. More and more this branch of horse breeding will be 



