Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-08
Maple Grove Stock Farm.
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE
. STATE FAIR.


l. STATE FAIR.
The special committee appointed at
meeting of the directors Of the Vermont
agricultural society, held on the evening Of
September Is, for the purpose Of an exami-
nation of the stock Of Gen II. II. Baxter, at
Maple Grove stock farm, attended to this
pleasant duty on the afternoon Of the l7th
ult 'r
First, Of course, to be shown was Waldo,
the magnificent iour-year-old stallion. To
those who saw him, with those other repre-
sentatives OF the Hambletonian family, ex-
hibited by Moulton Brothers. and Blackstone
by Mr. Noble, on the second day Of the fair any
description is unnecessary. Indeed, if the
necessity did exist, or il the object Of our
appointment was description, the stock we
inspected is Of so different type from that
TO which Vermonters to the "manner born"
are accustomed, that the thing per Sc is only
justice TO the OWNER and his stock.
Waldo, tracing back to Messenger, on the
side Of both sire and dam, is bay stallion,
l6 hands high, with such muscular develop
ment, such harmony Of proportion, and per.
feet balance, that we were at q loss wherein
or how to criticise. He Is royal-superbly
royal-horse, and as eur minds reverted to,
the cavalcade upon the fair grounds, on the
18th ult, memory wandered back to that day
when Old Black Hawk, with n hundred of
his sons and daughters in his train went
round the track, now part Of the grounds
of Gen Baxter, then tho grandest equine
show Vermont had ever seen, us was that Of
Waldo aud the stock Of Maple Grove stock
farm, Monarch, Don Giovanni and that Of
the Green Mountain stud, with Blackstone
and his get, shown last week, vastly the most
valuable she has ever seen within her Dor.
ders.
Among the brood mares at Maple Grove
is the Henry Clay mare, Unknown, whose
produce, before her purchase by Gen Baxter,
has been marves, her first colt, Tom Sayres,
in his three year.od form, trotting full
mile in 2:56, sold to Budd Doble for g.
500, and n like sum has been refused for her
second. Bertha, foal by her side, is pro.
Hounced by Mr. Backman who is perhaps
the most extensive breeder of trotters in the
world, as quite equal to either.
Kate Scott, another brood mare, is roomy
and muscular, with characteristic motive
power, and evincing that peculiar tempera-
ment, which is the sine qud non Of every
horse that has ever trotted fast since the day
Of their existence as a class, while Kitty,
Prosperine, Ethel, Estele, Ellie Dean, Star
Maid and Rutland. through whose veins
course the blood Of Mambrino and Abdallah,
up to Messenger, sires Of surprising capAbii.
ties and endurance, not known, not UNDER
stood, not producible, in any other country,
was the feat which private generosity and
enterprise has prepared for the stock raiser
Of Vermont. Long after this generation has
passed away his good judgment in intro.
ducing this stock into our state win be felt
and appreciated, because its value will be
realized; and II, as has been affirmed, the
original Messenger has benefited the United
States one hundred million of dollars, who
can estimate the enhanced value Of the pro-
duco of his numerous descendants, whose
good qualities, under careful and correct
principles Of breeding, never deteriorate, but
are multiplied and intensified. ..|
We cannot commend too highly. the lib
eral policy of the proprietor Of Maple Grove
stock larfn, in bringing to the use of our
| i"imoia' iiVO VI Oh"ikVi lho pasb SoasOhf tuo
thoroughbred stallion, Onward. He is
perfect specimen Of the highest type of the
Morgan, such as we used to see and glory in,
twenty-five years ago, offering convincing
proof, if il was ever open TO doubt, that the
prOgenitor Of this famous family, was indeed,
a thoroughbred. ....
Your committee beg to bear through this,
their hasty and necessarily, very general
report, thanks to General Baxter, for his
courtesy in accompanying aud showing them
through his stabes-and also to express
their obligations to that connoisseur in horse
flesh, Mr. L. ID. Packer of Brooklyn, l.. H.
for his intelligent resume Of the pedigree Of
the animals we saw.
We left tho generals stables with feel.
ing that Vermont was again on the way 10
her former supremacy in raising the best
horses, for the best purposes of man, and
that the East, while she can never vie with
the West in quantity, can, il she will but take
advantage Of her sweeter pasturage and her
musCle-developing hills, UNNECESSARILY excel
her in quality, ..lt = ..r
Gro. A. MERRILL, for committee.