Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-11-08
LIVE ST. OK.
WALKING HaREM.

LnllgS We SiiOt4iN iiGtHfc dDotLs NOGiO NC
their speed-net how fast they could run Oh
trot, but O. fast they could walk. There
has been, ofaate years, great attelftien paid
to the breeding Of horses fer speed. A few
years ago $40 for Il tf,otter was thought eN-
.cellent time. 1t toek but a little iudieieus
training to bring the time into the twenties,
and when it was announced that Dexter had
trotted a mile in 2.l73, a great many shook
heads doubtingly, and wondered if the time
was correctly taken, if SO, whether hekrack
was not a little short. That was some years
ago. Since that time, seconds have drop
ped off ore after another, until "Goldsmith
Maid" did her mile in the unprecedentedly
small time of 2.14. Whether Il horse will
ever trot a mile more quickly, remains to
be seen. Thousands of dollars and years
of time have been expended in accomplish
ing this result; and after all, what does it
amount to-wllat great good has been &C
HOrnplisled? ...
If it is merely u question Of how quickly
y certain space III be overcome, horses can
gun the distance ia MACH less time. So can
a dog-so can 4 locomotive. a swallow or
apigeon can do it in half the time; and if it
comes to a question of five, ten, or fifty
miles, the fast trotters would not undertake
1t.
We do not propose to consider, at present,
the question if the increase of speed in frot-
ting horses is worth what il costs ia time,
money and morals, and have only mention
ed it i'm connection with this other question:
How can the speed Of our working horses
lie improved?
We suppose the average rate Of speed at
which horses walk, will not exceed three
miles an hour. 1t is evident, then, if this
can be increased to four miles an hour, just
one-third more work can be accomplished
hy a pair of horses in the same time and
this will hold good whether they are plow-
ing, moving, or drawing a load on the
road ; and for a driving team this increase
Of. walking speed is worthy of attention.
Many q good %trotter, when pulled up at the
foot Of a Hill or elsewhere, falls into q pace
that would 10 a;screslit to a snail Of ortlina-
Ey ambition.
~ If a horse was possessed of fair rcasoaiug
ability, he would see the advantage to HIM
self OF waikiny with quicker and longer
steps. He would be allowed to walk many
a mile where he is now obliged to trot, and
would get over just as many miles i'll q day
with more pleasure, ease and comfort to his
driver, as we'll as to himself. But il he can
not bc reasoned with, shall he not be other
wise lntructed or trained, to use the word
ot Solomon? What is to prevent?
! What we have said of working horses, ap-
piles with the same force to oxen. There
are many sections where the Rural circu-
lates in which oxcn are bat little used or, it
at all, not as roadstcrs. But in other sec
lions where they are in conmon and con-
srant use not Only in the field bat on the
road, and where the comparison, las slow
us an Ox tea.n,' is often heard, it will be
readily admitted thas more speed in an OK is
Il desirable quality.
We suppose the lists of prizes for u ag-
ricultural fair yet to be held this fall, are
fully completed; otherwise we should sug-
! gest to the gentlemen of the committee that
il might be Il novel and attractive feature to
introduce walking matches of both horses
and oxen. 1t could be done with very little
trouble and expense, and we believe it
would be a step in the right direction.
Who will be first to introduce walking
matches ?-RuyaL New Yorker.
TEE IMPROVEMENT OF SWINE.
Our farmers are mostly aware of the fact