The daily gazette., 1880-01-24
Recent Improvement in the
BFeedtn0 of He0cN Horses.

From the earliest times to the present
day it hasbeen great misfortune and
loss 10 mankind that so little attention
has been paid to the breeding aud rear
Ing Of more perfect and powerful race
OF horses for heavy farm and road-work,
and the use the city dray and large ex-
press and truck wagon. Poets, from the
sublime Job down to the high-sprited
Byron, have been profuse in their de-
scriptions and praises of the horse for
war, the chase, and the course; while
historians, travellers and sportsmen have
ever been eloquent over them in vol
umes of prose. Strange that the most
generally useful of all the different
breeds of horses should with few ex-
ceptions, be ignored aud passed by in ST.
| lence, and 50 much be written and spOk-
en- of others which, although requisite
for special purpo es and worthy of high
admiration, have contribu ed less 10 the
benefit of humanity. But fortunately
al great change in this respect has taken
place within the past few years in Eu-
rope as well as III America.
A numerous society, composed OF no
blemen. the landed gentry, aud farmers
| Of Scotland, has recently been formed
for the purpose of improving the breed
of their largest sort Of horses This So
ciety takes The name of Clydesdale, and
that distinguished nobleman Earl Dun
more has been devotiDg a considerable
part of his time during the past two
years to editing stud book of their
horses, classed also as Clydesdale. The
| first volume ofthis has already been pub
lished. and the matter for the second is
collecting, England is now zealously
following the laudable example set her
by Scotland for what has long been
known as the Shire and other of her best
large breeds of horses. The Prince of
| Wales, Earl Eliesmore and other noble
men are giving no liItle attention to the
getting out of their stud book, and the
whole landed interest ofthe United King
dom is fast waking up to the importance
| OF improvement of the most useful of all
their breeds of horses.
Within the past three years 200 to l..
900 gulneas Isl 900 to $4,000 has been
common price IN Great Britain for Sc
lect heaey horses for breeding purposes,
and even 900 guineas 81 800 has been
refused for few of the very choicest,
while 30 to so gaineas $3.50 to S400 is the
ordinary price OF those for farm and dray
work alone. In France, Belgium, Hol.
lan1, and few districts of Northern
Germany, prices have also advanced
considerably, and greater attention Is
given than formerly to the Improvement
of their horses, all of which shows the
rapidly increased interest in the subject
abroad. Nor has this matter been ne
elected in A merica, particularly in the
past four years, during which large num-
bers of powerful heavy animals have
been imported into Canada aud the Uni
ted States from Great Britain and
France, with few also from Flanders.
The Clydesdale breed has been more
generally preferred for Canada, while
the Percheron and Norman have taken
precedence in our own country.
For the Percberon and Norman in
America Stud book was published in
1877, by Mr.. j. II. Sanders, of Chicago,
Ill. A revised edition followed the next
year, OF 2l2 large octave pages, hand
Omely got up with numerous fine engra-
wings. The object of this Stud book is
aResse I2 RseseEHXdf aHdf aqesss asfaTate Teeord Of the
France and their full-bred descendants,
so that the pubic may not be imposed
hereafter by unprincipled dealers palm
ing off their Inferior grades for full.
breds.-A. 4. Allen, IN Hdrper's Magazine
for February.