562 A HISTOEY OF THE PEECHEKON HOBSE 



the colts of our own breeding and raising by the 

 time they were from 20 to 24 months of age. 



"It is quite likely that our policy of liberal feed- 

 ing might not be justified if good breeding and 

 Percheron type did not exist in the colts to which 

 this system was applied. The colts which we have 

 raised, however, have been bred by us from mares 

 whose dams and grandams, and in some cases their 

 great-grandams, were bred by the members of our 

 own family. 



"Eli and M. C. Hodgson made an importation of 

 12 weanling fillies in 1881. All of the mares now in 

 our stud trace back to three of the twelve, which is 

 merely an indication of the careful attention that we 

 have given to eliminating animals that did not sat- 

 isfy us in type. On the other hand, we have held 

 fast to the most desirable strains that have come 

 into our possession, and never have permitted any- 

 one to purchase our best mares. By persistently 

 retaining our best mares and by the long-continued 

 use of good sires, we have been able to produce a 

 band of mares that are of good type, excellent in 

 set of legs, good in the feet, and real producers of 

 rugged, drafty colts which have found a ready sale 

 before they were two years of age. We are satisfied 

 that the tendency to breed regularly, the tendency 

 to prolificacy, is just as certainly transmitted as color 

 or type; we have held fast to our most prolific 

 strains. 



"Any breeder who will select good foundation 

 stock, breed to good sires, and follow out intelligent- 

 ly the same general methods in feeding and man- 

 agement cannot fail to realize substantial profits 

 from his Percherons, but emphasis must be placed 

 on persistent, patient, never-ending watchfulness." 



Feeding Alfalfju— Mr. J. C. Robison of Towanda, 



