310 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



breed, with the result that all the ad- 

 vance thus far made is lost 



If a farmer has been using one breed 

 of stallion for several years, that breed 

 is better than any other for him. Under 

 such circumstances it is not a question 

 of the relative merits of different breeds. 

 If difficulty is experienced in getting the 

 right stallion of the right breed re- 

 course may be had to some of the meth- 

 ods suggested by Alexander and others. 

 The farmers of a particular neighbor- 

 hood may raise a joint fund for the 

 purchase and maintenance of a stallion 



By this means, improvement would be 

 made in the type of horse; the horses 

 of the association could be brought to 

 the attention of buyers by legitimate ad- 

 vertising, exhibition at local and state 

 fairs and otherwise. "Were such asso- 

 ciations formed in each horse-breeding 

 center, and were each of them to preach 

 and practice the same sound doctrines 

 of breeding, the use of scrub, grade, 

 cross-bred and unsound stallions would 

 soon be a thing of the past, while better 

 mares would be used for breeding pur- 

 poses, with the inevitable result of gen- 



Fig. 223 — FARM WORK HORSE, THREE-FOURTHS PERCHERON 



or a stallion may be rented of the owner 

 for the season by guaranteeing a certain 

 amount of service fees and maintain- 

 ing the stallion and groom. 



Associations of breeders — The forma- 

 tion of local horse-breeding associations 

 also helps materially to secure the de- 

 sired result. Such organizations could 

 agree to raise only one breed of horse and 

 grades of that breed and could make ar- 

 rangements to have the proper stallion 

 service for all members. All problems 

 connected with horse-breeding and local 

 conditions of the horse market could he 

 discussed at meetings of the association. 



eral improvement in the quality of our 

 horses and the profits to be reaped from 

 the business." 



As already indicated, it is quite inad- 

 visable to prescribe to farmers the breed 

 or type of horse which they shall raise. 

 Each farmer knows better than anyone 

 can tell him his own likings and pe- 

 culiar fitness for the work. There is 

 a constant demand for all the recognized 

 market classes of horse. Soil, feed and 

 other local conditions are factors in 

 determining a choice for one or an- 

 other breed. Some men will, therefore, 

 decide on raising draft horses, others 



