The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-07-07
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
WHAT HORSES SHALL WE
UAISE


horse, shall we raise ?" that we contend.
ed that breeders to Hambletonians or
other strains Of large, coarse trotting
horses. would not prove profitable to Yer.
mont farmers, as it would give only an
occasional fast or high priced colt, while
a large proportion would be unfit for the
common uses OF horses oil all work, espe.
cially for the road or gentlemers' driving
horses, aud return but poor profit to the
breeder. We then stated that while we
had all the high prices obtained for Ham.
bletonian stock reported, we thought if
we had all the facts made public the
whole information would show that the
breeding from large, coarse strains Of
trottiug blood was not profitable to the
common farmer. We publish below an
article from the SpirH Of the Times, that
we clip from Tie Country Gentleman,
that we think vindicates our judgment,
and so far as it goes provs the correctness
Of our position at that time. We would
call attention to the statement that there
is already a gut of Ilambletonian mate.
rial at hand to select from, and that the
large proportion must find its level OF
price in the business demands Of the
country.
If the lIambletonian and other large
strains of trotting horses can furnish hor-
SEES that are of the right stamp to supply
the business demands Of the country,
aside from their merits as trotters, the
breeding Of these will be profitable, but
the truth is, only the trotters are de-
manded by the public for anything but
for uses that can be supplied by the very
lowest priced horses, and much below
that readily obtained for the intelligent
plucky, stylish Vermont horse, though
he may be much below 16 hands high.
This is no doubt what is meant when the
Spirit says, "Nouo but the choicest
breeding stock should DC used, and that
this rule applies more forcibly to the
Hambletonian strain Of blood than to any
other, which brings to mind the old law
of "the good were very good, the bad
etc." We think the facts daily coming
to light that to realize the suIest return
of profit from breeding horses, Vermont
farmers should stick to the best speci
mems Of their own compact, stylish, dura
Bile horses, the produce from which will
readily command remuncrative prices fol
business horses and roadsters, while O
large pr portion will be fast enough tc
commatd extra prices as gentlemens
drivers
CURRENT DEMAND FOR HORSES.
III report Of Gen Saniord's recent
Sale, in the Spirit Of the Times, is intro
duced by the following remarks:
Owing to efficient advertising, many
persons were present from distance, Il.
remote points s. Boston and Baltimore
having their rgcseutatives. This anC
recent sales elsewhere mark an unslacket
demand for high-class animals, while
there is unmistakablc dulness in tn,
medium class even Of tho most fashion
able strain OF blood Of this section. w,
notice the pcculiarsfeatur that Handle
,onian blood is selling at both extemes o
the market, bringing the highest and thu
lowest prices. \ gentleman from Boston
after seeing several Second Hambleton
ians sold at very moderate prices, remark
ed that he thought breeders OF the neigh
borhood would do well for their pocket
to fall back upon some Of the old.fashion
Cd Ethan Allen stock, citing the lat,
Sprague sale in the East, where two.year
olds BY old Ethan brought 5000 to $500
each in proof Of his claim. While thu
comparison was not just one las wa
presently shown, when .year-ol,
colt by old aambletonian out Of gooC
mare was offered and disposed of to Mr.
A. B. Darling, Of the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, New York, at $4,000, there wa,
enough Of weight in the remark to bring
to mind fact which Is being daily de
monstrated, viz, that the quantity o
trotting stock that the past few year
have brought into existence, having nj
other claim to recognized merit than i
could hang upon the reputation generate,
by the old hero OF Chester, has surieitet
the market With a superabupdance 0
material that is drag upon the well
earned laurels of Hambletonian and hi
worthy descendants. 1t is not enough
now, as in years past, that the animal i
simply Hamhletoniau, a Peacemaker,
Membiuo an Aberdeen, or Messenger
Duroc, to make it sell. In addition
thereto, it must be a higA.ciaSS one Of al
kind, in which case, as this sale shows, i
will command good figure. Every trot
ting family has its circle of admirers, ar
the largest Of all these circles is the on,
that cleaves TO the name Of Hambleton
ian. Large as it is, the eager inquir,
and tempting price which it has offere,
has at last brought a glut Of material ::
hand which gives opportunity for fasridi
Gus selection, and leaves a balance tina
must either remain dead weight upol
the breeders hands or find its level o
value in the business demands of tn
country, since it will not be accepte,
(save in secondary capacity on IN,
terms by the partisan adherents of th
Clay, Ethan Allen, Mambrino, Bashaw
and other families. Out of this rivalr,
great good must come, and there is n
more healthiul or more desirable symp
tom for all the breeding interests thai
this one fact, since it will bring about
system OF crossing that viii in SOM
measure hold 10 check the present insan
mania for incestuous in breeding. TIL
lesson seems to .each that to make horse
breeding pay at present none but III
rery choicest breeding stock should b
used, and that this rule applies NOR
forcibly to the Hambletouiau strain @
blood than to any other. The best bar
gains Of the sale at Fair Land Farm wer
Mr.. Darlings purchase Of the Handle
tonian two-year.old mentioned his pun
chase Of the brcodmare Lady Bach a
$3.50; Mr., i, j. Nodine's purchase G
an eight months FLY by Peacemaker GU
of Lady Bach for S670; and Gen. II. H
Baxter's purchase of the broodmare Pre-