118 27TH REPORT, BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



plan of purchase and development, but it is claimed that there is no 

 reserve; that a demand for a considerable increase in the number of 

 horses used annually by the Army such, for instance, as would be 

 necessary in case of war could not be supplied in a satisfactory 

 manner from the supply of horses now in the United States, large in 

 numbers as that supply is known to be ; and it is also claimed that in 

 the comparatively near future the developments of the horse indus- 

 try will be such that unless steps are taken to stimulate a waning in- 

 dustry by Government encouragement the Army will be able to obtain 

 its necessary horses only at greatly increased expense. The light 

 type of horse will become more and more difficult to obtain, and the 

 Army horse scarcer and scarcer. The Army can not be mounted on 

 draft horses, and our farmers are now raising nearly two draft colts 

 to one light colt. 



People not closely familiar with the agricultural development of 

 the country are wont to read complacently the magazine articles in 

 which the wonderful development of the West is set forth in glowing 

 terms. They are told that the settler is slowly but surely encroaching 

 on the ranchman, that the saddle and lariat are giving way to the 

 plow and harrow, and homes are building where cattle and horses 

 roamed before. They do not realize that this western country was 

 once the range of thousands of horses which were useful for Army 

 purposes, and that the inevitable result of the new development in 

 the agriculture of that section is to make horses and cattle scarce. 

 They read of the wonderful agriculture of the corn belt, the produc- 

 tion of cereals, the massive machinery, etc., not realizing that the 

 farmer is compelled by these conditions to get a maximum amount of 

 horsepower out of each work animal, to have his horses as large of 

 frame and as small in number as possible. 



The tide in favor of heavy draft animals on farms where topo- 

 graphical and climatic conditions favor their use will not, and doubt- 

 less can not, be turned. There is no reason why it should be turned. 

 The Army must look elsewhere for its supply, and it is only plain 

 business foresight and judgment for the Government to encourage the 

 breeding of a type of horse, in suitable localities, that will be useful 

 not only for the Army but satisfactory to the farmer as well. 



Lack of system in breeding methods. The remount system as at 

 present established is also incomplete in that it provides no means 

 whereby the breeding of horses of the proper type can be encouraged. 

 Everyone knows the innate fascination for the average mare owner 

 to see how many different experiments he may make in mating. He 

 may own a good, useful type of mare, and he will breed to Standard- 

 bred, draft, pony, saddle, and Thoroughbred stallions, hit or miss, 

 and not hesitate to tr}^ a jack to see what that will bring. The Army 

 buyers will doubtless do all in their power to advise mare owners 

 how to breed, but their advice can only carry such weight as more or 



