28 FEEDING FARM HORSES 



way the farm labors of the horse. The ox, generally speak- 

 ing, has gone, while the number of horses has not increased 

 proportionately. Consequently the working units of horse 

 power are down to the minimum. To this reason it seems to 

 me we can attribute tlie unproductive conditions of our soils. 

 There is too little horse power in the state to properly till and 

 cultivate the soil. We have thousands of acres of tillable 

 land in the state (and what is said here is true of all New 

 England) that have not felt the ploughshare for a long series 

 of years, some for decades, some for a half century. Soil will 

 not remain productive if untilled. We have not enough 

 horses or working units in the state to do the regular farm 

 work and to carry on tillage as it should be done. 



Practically the onl}' supply of horses is from other states ; 

 3^et this state is quite able to supply its full needs and could 

 have to spare for demands elsewhere. The work lies with 

 the farmers themselves, not only to increase the number of 

 working horses but to improve them and make them more 

 serviceable. 



By using the better grade of mares for breeding purposes 

 and having the service of some pure-bred sire of some draft or 

 coach breed of good type and conformation, it would be but 

 a short time until the character of the whole horse stock were 

 changed into a better and improved one. Good draft and 

 coach stallions can be secured for about five hundred dollars. 

 Several farmers could purchase a stallion of the type desired, 

 and there could be engaged several mares for the first season 

 at a moderate charge for service which would pay not only a 

 high rate for money invested but would go a long ways for 

 paying the full cost. 



PART II 



EXPERIMENTS IN FEEDING HORSES 



These experiments were conducted through a period of tw^o 

 years, beginning May i, 1S99, and ending May i, 1901. The 

 five college work horses were used in the experiment during 

 the whole period, their weights taken twice each week, and 

 the number of hours' work recorded. The water drank by 

 each horse during the full time was weighed and recorded. 



