The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-06-12
Aqritultural Column.
MEDIUM SIZED ANIMALS FOB WORK.
Medic tutissimus ibis.-TOrID.

Albeit a radical in polite, l have al
great respect for the above conservative
motto when applied to the size Of work
ing stock, be the kind what it may and
reckon that many of our farmers, in
their praiseworthy zeal, are committing
a grevious error, under the supposition
that the biggest animals are the best ;;
causing monsters Of mules and elephants
Of horses to be looked upon with favor
which their performances on the road or
in the field will not warrant.
Beginning with horses, l believe that
the Morgan it better than the Sampson.
The latter is bigger, but he is also
clumsler, less enduring, and more liable
to disease. The two are like two
machines built Of the same material and
On the same model, but differing in size.
Any machinist knows the result. The
larger model must be built stronger to
have proportional superiority. A
machine which will work we'll in the
model, fails when carried into practice.
The Sampson fails in the same way.
He has not the superabundance Of sinew
and muscle to compare with his extra
weight He is so slow that he travels
little, if any, faster than an OK. He is,
l am informed, more apt to have dis
ease, and less apt to recover than
smaller horses. He is loaded down
with his own weight. "They are GER
tainly noble looking animals (says Ran
dali in the American edition Of Youatt)
with their round, fat carcasses and sleek
coats, and the evident pride which they
take in themselves but they eat a great
deal Of hay and corn, and at hard and
long continued work they would be COM
pletely beaten by a team Of muscular,
active horses an inch and half lower.
= 1t must be evident that bulk
and fat do not always constitute strength
and that compact, muscular horse,
approaching to sixteen hands high,
would acquit himself far better in such
a situation"
So with mules. I think our enter
prising stock raisers, who are SO emu
lous in producing tall mules, are doing
discredit to their own judgment and
an injury to the agricultural wealth of
the country. A big, loose jointed mule
is no better than large, awkward
horse. And here | call to the stand
Frank Forester, who in his day was
probably one of the best horseman in
America, and knew something too of
mules. In his ''Hints to HorSekeepers"
he says CATER noting the fact that, in
Spain and Portugal where the finest
mules and asses are bred, the latter are
generally bred not over fourteen hands
high, y" The mule Of increased size
appears to approach somewhat nearer
to the horse in organization, whereas it
is desirable that he should approach
nearer to the ass. lie is a slower and
more sluggish animal than the smaller
breed, is less enduring Of labor, less
capable of toiling under extraordinary
temperatures of heat (Which is one Of
the admitted points Of superiority over
the horse, and being much heavier in
proportion, is apt to sink his small,
narrow compressed hoofs far deeper into
the ground where the soil is deep and
the roads are sticky and tenacious,
while he will consume from one-6fth to
one third more provender."
believe there is no question of the
same truth as regards cattle. The Dew
on is vastly superior as working ami
NAL to the Durham. He is small
enough to be active compact and strong.
Thus far have spoken only Of work
ing animals. | think no one can doubt
that the large size and early maturity
sought by breeders is gained at the ex-
pense of action, speed and long service.
This will be comparatively a triAlng
error, or an actual gain where the animal
is bred only for the shambles-while it
must work great mischief to the horse
and mule, because only working quail
ties are wanted. 1t will be Of small
injury to cattle where beef is made the
prominent point. So in sheep, where
mutton is alone cared for; and in the
case Of the hog it becomes great mer-
it; for here amount of meat is the one
thing desired.
But l believe it will be found that
large animals are not the most profta-
BILE for grazing. The Durham is a
VIGOROUSLY huge feeder, and will con-
sumo half more than his Devon
brother. This may be small matter
in the central counties of Illinois, where
4ho diStnnnn frn,n ,,,n,l-a. ~. Il