The Portland daily press., 1878-10-31
AGRICULTURAL.
The BREEDING of Horses.

: According to official statistics there were
in the United States January, 1877, 10, 155, 400
horses, valued at $610, 206,630 showing the
average value of each horse to be but S6O,O0.
AT that date Maine had $1,000 horses, New
Hampshire $4,000. Vermont 75,2O0, Massa-
chusetts 131 600, Rhode Island IA 500, Con-
necticut 81, 100, New York 692, 900. Thetotal
valuation of the horses in New England was
$S1, S1S, 1868, and in New York State $50, $685.
1856. These figures indicate the importance
of the breeding of horses in this section of
the country, az also the necessity of careful
attention to the essentials of good manage
ment in making the business certain and re-
munerative.
Handicapped in the industry of horse
breeding by severe winters, dearer feeding
stuffs and smaller range, the Eastern farmer
stands at some disadvantage as compared
with the Western horse breeder, which the
former must overcome by better selection Of
danes to be used i'll future breeding. Good
Eastern horses seem to have been growing
scarcer in our city markets for the last TWEEN
ty years, and the main dependence is upon
Western horses, that are not usually possessed
OF endurance or constitution of the North
ern and Eastern bred horses. A constant
demand exists for good business horses, and
also for family purposes. A foreign trade is
also being developed of considerable magni-
tude. Why then do we see such falling off
both in quantity and quality of Eastern bred
horses?
A careful survey of the situation leads us
to believe that the deficiency is owing not to
Tue unremunerative character of the bust
ness when under proper management, but to
the careless and shihless methods pursued
by the majority of small farmers who have
usually raised one or two colts each year, un-
I'll hnally the consequent deterioration of
norses mas been marked in most localities.
Many small, misshapen, feeble mare has
been used for breeding, and even when
mare OF this sort has been served with toll
erably good stallion she incurred every
hazard OF producing a worthless foai. What
Is the consequence? The foal is reared; it
is sold by the breeder at perhaps half the
sum 1t has cost in rearing, it has not paid for
half the food it has destroyed, saying moth
ing OF the loss OF time and attention in the
raising. Hence such breeders are continually
crying out that breeding horses does not
pay. Breeding poor horses never will pay,
and the sooner our farmers abandon such a
practice, the sooner they will be in a posi-
ton to attend to more profitable business.
Either better class OF horses should be
raised in this section of the country or the
field abandoned to Western breeders.
Taking the total of horses in this country
at 100000, and estimating the degenerate,
worthless specimens at even twenty five per
cent. of the whole number, and assuming
that the cost of raising the 100000 to the
age of five years to be at least $40 each, and
that they only average $40 each when sold,
the country really loses $75,0O0OOO, upon
every generation of horses. The margins
of profit at the present time are unsatisfac-
tory at the best, yet if any one lesson has
been taught more than another during the
long continued period of business depression,
IL is that there has been less shrinkage in
value on desirable animals, choice grain and
fruits, extra butter and cheese than in the
inferior products of the farm. Certain it is
that the farmer in New England or New York
cannot afford to appropriate his hay and grain
and pasture, as well as his care and skill, to
the breeding of inferior horses.-American
Cultiuat0r.