g8 Horse Trade of United States. 



well down to the hocks. Legs are short, straight, and strong, 

 with fine, clean bone, and set well outside the body. 



" Above all, every part of the body of an ideal beef animal 

 shows 'quality.' It is this that tells the farmer whether a 

 steer with a good form will prove a profitable feeder, it tells 

 the butcher whether the animal will ' kill ' well. This is a 

 point that cannot be overlooked and is difficult to describe. 

 Lack of it shows in a coarse, fleshy head, in a thick, meaty 

 throat, and a rough uneven shoulder. Coarse heavy bones, 

 and a loose jointed appearance generally, will show the un- 

 desirable feeder ; rough flesh, ' ties ' and ' patches ' the 

 undesirable killer. The animal handles well. The flesh is 

 mellow and firm, showing a proper mixture of fat and lean. 

 The skin is loose but not superfluous, mellow, and moder- 

 ately thick, covered with a plentiful growth of hair. Such an 

 animal usually weighs 1,500 pounds at twenty-four to thirty 

 months." 



The Horse Trade of the United States with 

 Foreign Countries. 



The foreign trade of the United States in horses and 

 mules has greatly expanded since 1893, when the low prices 

 which then prevailed had much to do with attracting the 

 attention of foreign buyers to the supplies in the country. 

 The result was immediately reflected in the export trade, 

 Exports of horses and mules combined, which in 1893 had 

 amounted to 4,601 head, valued at about ^200,000, rapidly 

 increased until in 1898 they reached the total of 59,248 head, 

 worth nearly ^1,500,000. In the following year the outbreak 

 of the war in South Africa gave an additional impetus to 

 this trade, and the exports from the United Slates quickly 

 responded to the increased demand. In the fiscal year ended 

 June 30th, 1900, the exports of horses and mules combined 

 rose to 108,091, valued at ^2,400,000, and in the succeeding 

 fiscal year they further increased to 116,655 head, with an 

 estimated value of ^2,500,000. 



The table given below shows the exports' of horses and 



