8 
THE PERCHERON REVIEW 
As you probably already know, the members of 
the Percheron Society of France submitted two hun- 
dred pedigrees to the Percheron Office for animals 
they had for sale of the required age. Each member 
was allowed a certain number, the larger breeders 
having as high as sixteen or twenty. It was there- 
fore necessary for us to choose from the two hundred 
head declared and never have I experienced such 
trouble and delay in securing the papers and having 
the horses shipped. 
Great trouble was experienced in transferring the 
horses from France to London. The British govern- 
ment sent a military transport to Le Havre which 
took them to Southampton from where they were 
shipped to London by rail. The horses were also 
delayed one week at London. 
It is my opinion that since the death of Mr. Charles 
Aveline, it is doubtful whether any more horses will 
be released before the end of the war. 
Samuel H. Bell. 
April 7, 1916. 
A Grain Feeder for Colts on Pasture 
The evidence is overwhelming in favor of liberal 
rations for growing well-bred young drafters. The 
fallacy of attempting to make heavy horses in any 
other way has been continually counseled against. 
In practice we find that there are several items which 
do much to increase the good results obtainable from 
feed. As worthy of mention I would name proper 
facilities for each individual to get his share of feed, 
and protection from flies during the summer. 
If any considerable number of horses are handled 
there is necessity for several well-fenced pastures or 
paddocks. Young horses not only appear to much 
better advantage when kept in properly graded 
groups, but they also are more thrifty when the 
younger and weaker do not have to always eat at the 
"second table." Here at the college the number of 
injuries from kicks and such has been much les- 
sened since we have been able properly to separate 
the different ages. Some managers do more to in- 
sure even distribution of grain than do others. 
The photograph illustrates a "tumbler" which 
has been found useful for feeding grain to colts 
running on pasture. I am not sure as to where the 
idea for this type of feeder originated. The first 
one which I remember of seeing came over from Eng- 
land with an importation of Hackneys. 
Unless pastures are naturally well provided with 
trees and underbrush, it pays to keep young stuff 
up during the day in a darkened shed. Gunny 
sacks suspended from the ceiling are generally ap- 
preciated by the occupants of darkened shed or 
stall. J. L. Edmonds. 
Illinois Experiment Station. 
By courtesy of Breeder's Gazette. 
Grade or Purebred Horses? 
A Pennsylvania farmer is in search of light on 
the question of heavy and light mares for farm 
work. He wishes to know if 1,800-pound draft 
mares are too heavy and slow to handle large ma- 
chinery, such as the double-action disc harrow, 
manure spreader, or riding plow on hilly land, or 
whether a 1,300-pound horse is more suitable. The 
average farm horse in his community weighs from 
1,250 to 1,400 pounds, and draft stallions are 
scarce. He asks whether he should raise grades 
or purebreds. 
Draft mares that weigh around 1,700 pounds in 
working condition would probably be the best kind 
to use where the land is hilly and the fields are 
small. The idea that a 1,700-pound mare is too 
heavy for farm work is erroneous. Farm work 
consists almost entirely of slow, heavy work, and 
for that reason draft horses are especially desirable. 
Thirteen-hundred-pound horses are of course able 
to do light work more quickly than the heavier 
sort, but the latter is more generally adapted to all 
kinds of farm work. Seventeen-hundred-pound 
mares bred to good draft stallions will produce colts 
which if reasonably well cared for will be salable at 
almost any time after they are weaned. Good wean- 
lings will bring from $75 to $100 per head. Colts 
from 1,300-pound mares are a slow sale before they 
are old enough to work, and then the more desirable 
sort usually bring from $50 to $75 less than good 
grade draft colts of the same age. It costs but little 
more to feed draft colts well than it does the lighter 
kind. 
Good grade draft mares are to be recommended 
to the inexperienced farmer in preference to pure- 
breds. There is less capital invested in the grades 
and the young farmer can gain experience just as 
well with them as with purebreds, and at less cost. 
If a grade colt dies from a lack of experience on the 
part of the owner the financial blow is not so great 
as if it were a $500 purebred. Many a young man 
has gone to ruin financially because he had a fancy 
that he would like to breed purebred livestock, and 
ventured in this direction without knowing how to 
care for even grades profitably. Good grade draft 
mares are good property; purebreds are better, but 
the latter require more capital and more skill to 
bring them successfully to a salable age. 
Ellis McFarland. 
By courtesy of Breeder's Gazette* 
