Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-05-18
From the Farmer and Planter.
The Horse.

Have I made myself understood? Judi
cious breeding is not breeding for looks, but
for form, substance, endurance and good quail
ty: and the only way to obtain these, IS by
the selection Of mares and stations which
will transmit their peculiarities to their OFT
spring. Blood, although good thing, is not
everything. A horse may have indomitaDe
pame-he may be able to travel great dls-
lance in a short time, but, Us the Jockey sail,
bo NAV soon crack his capital out One
horse may be so formed rs to move great
weight by merely throwing his own weight
into the collar, while another, owing to de.
feet in form, would be forced to On excessive
wear and tear of muscular power, to overcome
the same resistance. "A farm horse, or a
draft horse, should be so constructed as to 10
the greatest amount of work with the least
use his own weight, and he cannot DO Aa'if II ff.
less he is able to do it from his conformation
His levers, and pullies, and muscle, and joints
must be so fitted, and play into each other
like perfect piece of machinery; and, what
will make him fine mover under the saddle,
or on the race.course, will not enable him to
move weight behind him, except at waste
of nerve and muscle that will soon wear him
out. We have bred to the blood horse so
long, in South Carolina, that our horses are
generally game enough, but wanting in stamina
and in the right sort of action. They are too
light in the body, too sloping and thin through
the shoulder, too narrow.rumped, and weak
across the loin. How are these defects to be
renedied? Not by breeding to every little
camel.backed, bull.neckcd "Kanuck," or
French Canadian, that may come into the
country; or to every horse called Morgan,
or Trotter, but to such horses as are notori-
GUS for getting good colts, and from such
mares as breed well. Never breed to horse
of bad temper, or one whose colts do not
work kindly, for these tricks may be transmit.
to others from generation to generation,
through very fnc colt.
Why is it that the Morgan horse has OBJ
tanned such a wonderful popularity? It is
owing to the fact that they have been bred
carefully for purpose, and that they have
wonderful proclivity to stamp their peculisri.
ties upon their offspring. The Morgan is the
horse of New England; he is priced, and has
been for long time, above, all others; he
commands always ready sale, at q high fig
ure. Everybody breeds to the horse that is
remarkable forgetting the best colts, and he
breeds the best mares, because he is anxious
to secure "trump;" and that is the reason
the Morgan, and nothing else.
But we must not suppose that because
horse is Morgan he must be q good horse to
breed from. He should be good tosl.getter
he should stamp his stock upon his colts.
Such horse will always command higher
price in New England than we are willing to
give for him, and, for that reason, we will not
be apt to succeed in breeding good horses un.
der our present system. It is miserable policy
to be going on in these guess.work expert.
ments; and as long as our people will insist
upon recognizing blood as the only requisite
or cheapness, We will have wishy.washy set
of horses, and the breeders in Tennessee,
Kentucky, and the North, will get all the long
prices for fine animals.
A few days since, in looking over Ten.
nessee paper, we were surprised to see as ma.
ny as SIX Morgan and Trotting stations stand.
ing in the same neighborhood, almost, at
$25. In Michigan, breeders do not hesitate
to introduce stations at such figure as
$4,000 and $4,000; And it is worth noting,
that such operations pay we'll, because breed.
ers are acting upon a certainty-they know
they will get an animal that will pay for the
trouble OF raising him. 1t costs-no more to
raise good horse than bad one; and it
certainly is bad economy to save few dollars
at the start, to lose hundred at the end. !
am exceedingly anxious to draw the earnest
attention of our farmers to the importance of
devoting more attention to breeding horses.
The time is rapidly coming, when we will
find it necessary to introduce mixed husban-
dry, or emigrate. Mules and negroes will
follow the cotton.bales, and the march of the
cotton.bales must like that of Empire,
Westward" have its way. The introduction
of railroads will do away with the necessity |
of much of the mule-power on the plantation,
and horses will be needed for light draft, more
aud more, as social intercourse increases.
Many farmers are ready to argue that
horse is better than mule in all farm work,
save wagoning, where they are worked and
cared for by careful white man. believe
it is true. do not believe that the horse is
much more subject to disease than the mule,
If properly treated; nor in the popular doc.
trine, that he is shorter lived. Under good
treatment, he will perform almost double the
work, and do it kindly. Much of the preju.
duce against the horse originates from COM
parison with the inferior animal. We have
bred the best mares to the best jacks, and the
worst mares to the worst horses, as general
rule. A FARMER.