LETTEE OF TKANSMITTAL. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Office of the Secretary, 



Washington, D. C. , December 12, 1898. 

 Mr. President: 



I have the honor to transmit for your information and that of the 

 Congress of the United States a report consisting of a number of 

 communications on the subject of the demand for American horses 

 in certain countries of Europe. 



At the time of assuming office as Secretary of Agriculture I was 

 already much impressed with the necessity of an output abroad for 

 our surplus horse production. For some time previous extraordi- 

 narily low prices had prevailed for horses in this country, and horse 

 breeders and horse raisers throughout the country were correspond- 

 ingly depressed. It is quite possible that in this apparent cause for 

 discouragement there really was a blessing in disguise, for it is prob- 

 ably due to these extremely low prices that the first impetus to the 

 foreign demand for American horses was due. Whatever the cause, 

 the figures which I have the honor to submit at the close of this com- 

 munication will show that the export trade in American horses, hardly 

 more than begun some five years ago, has advanced with rapid strides. 



My first thought was that to develop this opening, which presented 

 itself so opportunely to our much discouraged horse raisers, was a 

 duty which this Department owed to them, and I was convinced that 

 the most useful service it could render them was to gather from all 

 available sources whatever information could be procured as to the 

 character and extent of the demand existing abroad for horses of all 

 kinds. Without such knowledge it was obvious that many unprofit- 

 able shipments would be made, and not only cause a loss to the ship- 

 pers and consequent discouragement, but, by placing undesirable 

 animals, undesirable at least from the European standpoint, in foreign 

 markets, dissatisfaction among foreign buyers would be generated 

 and opinions unfavorable to the American horses would result, thus 

 perhaps seriously retarding the development of this export trade, if 

 it did not altogether arrest it. 



Actuated by this thought I endeavored to interest our represent- 

 atives abroad and American citizens going abroad in the gathering of 



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