The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-08-08

men received the invitation oil your
Secretary to prepare paper to be read
at this meeting, | thought for several
seemingly valid reasons that | could moi
accept it; that it was out of my line tc
even attempt written essays, and with the
hurry Of the season upon me, was not tc
be thought of.
But did think of it, and with second
thoughts came to the conviction that il
would be ungenerous shrinking from
known and presented duty to refuse my
mite, though small, toward the advance
ment Of practical agriculture and stock
breeding in Vermont the more when
gentlemen whose interests did not seem
TO ally them so intimately to the business
as did mine, were willing to devote their
time and thoughts to its advancement and
support. | consented, therefore to write
but what should be my subject?
presumed that the Committee of Ar
rangements had given invitations to men
in different branches of agriculture, stock
raising, &C., with view to getting a var
iety, and that one of my two specialties
would be acceptable from me. But which?
Could it be that the poor despised slaugh-
tered Merino sheep, that so many thou
sands have hated bad enough to kick land
would even go out of their way to do it,
Il don't know why unless "sheep bit
them, y had, suddenly, under an awaken
ing sense that just one sheep too much
had been killed, that Just one wool skin
to many with its three years growth of
woeD had been imported, feeces taken in
that way cannot be duplicated and that
there was probable lack ofraw material
for textile fabrics in America, not alone,
but in South America, in Australia, and
in Continental Europe besides could it
be, ! say that under these influences the
Merino sheep had arisen in the scale of
valuations until the people again wanted
to hear what their special lovers and
breeders, and may | not say without egot-
ism, improvers thought of their prospects7
Nay, not yet. Large bodies move slow
ly, and old smarts are not yet healed I;
only few discern the light in the cast
the sure forerunner of the day, and the
people are not quite ready to hear sheep
presented again.
All well then it must be horses some-
body has told somebody else that love
horses. do, Mr.. President. | do, my
friends. The noblest animal of Gods
creation His second best gift to man
And | always have, Il pity the man who
don't,) and | have always made them,
their history and their breeding, a special
study, and propose to give you in this
paper my views of what kind of horses
our farmers of Vermont should breed for
morst and surest profit. and how under
existing circumstances osecure them
Perhaps can make myself best under
stood by first using the negative, and sta
ting what we ought not, because we can't
afford to breed.
!. We can't afford to breed the class
Of horses we have been breeding-Mor-
gans, Black Hawks, French or whatever
blood they may be, of from fourteen to
fifteen hands in height, and weighing from
500 to 900 pounds, for the reason that
they will cost the grower at four or five
years Of age more than they will bring in
any market available to us. estimate
it will cost $50 per year to grow colts as
they should be grown, at the least, and
we all know that from $50 to 5000 is
good average price for this class, sand they
are but little sought for at that. Horse
buyers in Vermont are and have been for
for several years, like angel visits, few
and far between, not because of lack of
buyers in the country, but because we
have not the class of horses that the mar
ket demands. Our horses are too small
and too light boned, and too much punch
ed up.
2. We can't afford to raise the heavy
draft horse, as the Suffolk Punch, Perch
eron, Norman, &C.. for the reason that
the richer lands of the west can grow them
20 much faster and cheaper than ours, that
we shall find ourselves perpetually behind
and undersold They require rich food
and in unlimited quantities whereas our
Vermont fields are sometimes limited in
their supply. However, the demand for
such horses is good and prices fair, and
to western growers undoubtedly of slow
and sure profit.
3. We can't as farmers afford to breed
the small trotting horse. This statement,
am aware, will meet with some qucs-
tionings,but / speak advisedly and believe
the experience Of many thousands of horse
breeders, reluctant as they may be to ad-
nit it, is proof. The Rev. Mr.. Quincy,
OF Maine says that although it is claimed
that the breeding of trotting horses
distinctively as source of profit in Maine
is failure, yet when speed is connected
with other qualities for general use and
taste, such as size color, style, &C., there
is no doubt about its value and the pro-
htableness Of breeding horses. This is
not strictly literal quotation, perhaps
near enough to get the idea.) The per-
centage of trotters is exceedingly small
even in the best families, although it is
evidently increasing. Some writer's say
i've per cent. others less, make trotters Of
special value at the best 8 trotters, %
not trotters in the hundred. The breed.
ing of the five is remuneraiive TO the
breeder, if he is at the same time horse.
man enough to develope his colts and show
them to advantage, otherwise some luck
dealer gets the profit of the breeding in
the fast colts, for as it has been previous
Iy shown, small horses without speed can
not be bred with profit, and he that bears
the labor and expense with hope of gain
hnds in the end nothing but loss, except
the consolation that he has raised a good
horse and trotter.
These are some of the negatives, per.
haps sufficient for the occasion - the
darker shades of the picture. Are there
no light ones? believe there are, gen.
tlemen. A goood sized, rangy, stylish
open gated and enduring horse of good
color, bay for instance, from 1871 to 16