572 A HISTORY OF THE PEECHERON HORSE 



ing on a commission of $5 per head. After we 

 had followed this plan for some time, we quit and 

 began to ship and feed for ourselves. We usually 

 shipped about 3 loads per week. This was some 

 15 years ago, and I have been located in Mendota, 

 111., for the last 19 years. In more recent years 



1 have been operating alone. 



"The first and most important consideration in 

 feeding draft geldings is to buy the right kind at 

 a price that will permit a profit. A horse well 

 bought is well sold. It is unwise to buy a horse that 

 is too low in condition, it requires too much time 

 to get him in shape. I prefer to select only those 

 horses which can be sold at any time after purchase 

 at a fair profit. I aim not to buy horses that will 

 not finish out satisfactorily within 60 days, as I 

 do not believe it pays a dealer to feed longer than 



2 months. Horses that have to be fed 3 or 4 months 

 to get them in shape for market cost too much in 

 the way of feed. 



' ' The second important point in making purchases 

 of draft geldings is to buy them at the right time. 

 The demand for drafters is a seasonable one. They 

 will not sell to good advantage except during the 

 late spring and early summer months and again in 

 the early fall months. I like to have my heavy geld- 

 ings ready to sell during the latter part of April or 

 early in May, or if I do not wish to market them 

 at this time I want geldings that I can turn off 

 late in August or early in September. There is 

 a relatively light demand for the very heavy draft 

 geldings at other times of the year, and many men 

 lose money on the draft geldings they purchase on 

 account of buying them at the wrong time of the 

 year. They are then compelled to sell them when 

 draft geldings are not in strong demand, or if they 



