110 
PURE BRED DRAFT HORSES 
tent than in the length of the long bones of the skeleton. There is ap¬ 
parently a much greater increase in the circumference of the girth at 
the heart than in either the circumference at the hind flank or in the 
middle of the paunch. 
“During the last period when the grain rations were increased very 
materially in order to induce fattening, the most noticeable change was 
in the width of the body throughout. There was practically no additional 
growth in the depth of the chest or in the length of the cannon during 
this period. The greatest change was in the rounding out and improve¬ 
ment, in the symmetry, form and general appearance of the animals 
rather than any actual change in the form as indicated by the change in 
skeleton.” 
Snyder 104 of the Nebraska Station (North Platte) conducted an experi¬ 
ment on the value of some forages for growing colts, with the main idea 
of testing the utility of alfalfa pasture and alfalfa hay for the same pur¬ 
pose. Thirty colts were used and these were subjected to test from the 
time they were just weaned up till maturity. They were divided into 
three lots. Lot 1 received alfalfa hay in winter and alfalfa pasture in 
summer, Lot 2 were given access to alfalfa hay in winter and prairie 
pasture in summer, and Lot 3 got prairie hay and cane hay in winter and 
prairie pasture in summer. For the first winter these colts received 
grain (% corn and Vz oats), each receiving 4 pounds daily, but during 
spring this amount was altered. The feeding of grain after the first 
winter was rather irregular except Lot 3 which got 3 pounds of emmer 
per head during the next winter. When being broken as two-year-olds the 
colts received a little grain and at the age of three they were started 
to work at which time grain was given to them. This grain, however, 
was not included in the computation for their development on account of 
the work which pays for their keep. 
Snyder gives conclusions of the experiment and writes: 
“(1) It was not profitable to pasture the alfalfa during the summer or 
at least after the first summer. 
“(2) It was profitable to feed alfalfa hay during the winter. 
“(3) It might have been profitable to pasture the alfalfa during the 
summer if the colts had been sold as yearlings or two-year-olds. 
“(4) It may be profitable to pasture alfalfa with colts where there 
is some special incentive for getting rapid gains or where the cost of 
alfalfa pasture and of native grass patsure are about equal. 
“(5) Alfalfa pasture put the colts in an excellent condition of flesh 
and finish and produced no injurious effects. 
“(6) The flesh put on these colts is in no sense ‘flabby’ or temporary; 
it seems to be solid flesh that endures work. 
“(7) Alfalfa hay produces more increase in weight on colts than 
prairie hay and cane hay during the winter. 
“(8) Colts make a greater gain during the first winter and during the 
first summer after weaning than during any winter or summer following 
and also make greater gains during the second winter and second sum¬ 
mer than during the third winter and third summer, when conditions 
are similar to those in this experiment. 
“(9) Colts put on pasture when thin in flesh make faster gains than 
similar colts put on pasture when in good flesh. 
“(10) The increase in weight on colts in this experiment cost less 
during the first winter than during the second winter, and less during 
the second winter than during the third.” 
Feeding trials conducted by Fuller 105 of Wisconsin Station on the feed¬ 
ing of 11 pure-bred draft foals resulted in development of as much as 
1000 to 1200 pounds at the end of one year. The feeds consist of a mix¬ 
ture of 60 per cent ground oats, 15 per cent corn meal, 10 per cent bran, 
and 15 per cent cut alfalfa, supplied in amounts as the foals would clean 
