Horse 



Breeding in United 



States. 



227 



While horses are bred in all the States of the Union, 

 there are few which do not purchase for use more than 

 they sell. Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota are the three 

 States which produce many more than they want ; 

 while Missouri and Kansas sell many southern horses, and 

 Oregon, Nebraska, and Wyoming supply many range 

 horses. Comparatively few horses are bred in the Eastern 

 States. 



Of the 225,000 horses annually sold, on the average, at the 

 principal markets not more than 25 per cent, can be classed 

 as good, the remainder being " plugs," or partly worn 

 horses. At the present time the visible supply of desirable 

 horses, for all purposes, of four and five years old, is estimated 

 at about 100,000, or barely enough to supply the average 

 demand, and there is also a scarcity of three-year-olds, but 

 younger horses are more plentiful, and the supply should be 

 more ample in future. Prices at Chicago, it may be noted, 

 Tiave increased from ^3 to ^11 per head in the past four 

 years. 



There are fourteen markets in the United States through 

 each of which more than 10,000 horses and mules passed 

 in 1899, St. Louis being first with about 120,000, half of which 

 were, however, mules. Chicago came next with 110,000, 

 which included practically no mules. Buffalo (over 60,000) 

 and New York (over 50,000) followed ; these two towns 

 probably get the highest prices, and the majority of the 

 horses sold there have already passed through a western 

 market. Excluding the two latter cities, some 55 per cent, 

 of the horses sold during the last three years went through 

 the Chicago market, and 26 per cent, were sold at St. Louis ; 

 the most important places after these two being Kansas City, 

 St. Joseph, Omaha, and Sioux City. 



The suitability of the American horse for European com- 

 mercial purposes was first recognised in 1893, when small 

 -experimental shipments were made. Since then the trade 

 has rapidly increased from 3,000 in 1893 to 65,000 in 1900. 

 The greater number go to Great Britain, but during the past 

 year there have been large shipments for the British and 

 German armies in South Africa and China respectively. 



Q 2 



