The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-12-24
'esdaie Horses as a Breed

!. invited to give an address on what Inc OH |
y served abroad that would be of interest 10 |
!. the association and also TO state the result of |
his Investigations, rs TO the merits Of this |
breed Of horses and their adaptabiiHy TO the |
d wants of the breeders Of this country The |
4 gentleman visited England, Scotland France |
and other countries In the course of his tour |
OF observation and made practical exami- |
nation OF the drafl horse at work. We have |
only room for portion of this article, and |
would have been glad TO have given It in |
full. MIR. Powell first gave statistical &C |
count of the importance Of the live stock In |
!, terest, showing that 1t equalled one-sixththe
!, value of all the farms, being yet in Its in
fancy. That even in 1878 the export trade
of animals and animal products was little
/, short of grain and breadstuffs, while In 1877
> they exceeded il. After showing the i'm
mense amount Of capital thus emuloyed in
3. live stock and kindred interests, be called |
/ attention TO the fact that II was of far great
er importance TO increase the quality than
the quantity Of our domestic animals. That
X the average value of horses In the United
4 States in January, 1879, was S52.4l per head,
and that even the slight increase OF $40. az
erage per head wouid add upwards of
SlO0,00O,0OO TO the visible wealth of this
country. This is APPOINT worthy of the at
tention or every farmer and breeder. He
says:
1.-THE object and aim Of this association is
the Irnproyen,eitf of our draft and business
horses. Believing in the superiority OF the
Clydesdale, our pl rpose Is TO place HIM here
upon a safe, sure and permanent basis.
AS much as thought of the Clydesdale
before my, recent visit TO Scotland other
countries OF Europe, j am free TO say that L
had not half appreciated his real inherent
worth and merit. To see him in almost ev-
nv capacity in which horse could be used,
especially draft purposes, performing labor
seemingly with perfect ease which = no olher
horse III the world could without the utmost
exerton and TO flourish under this year af-
ter year until good old age, without weaken
ing or giving away In any respect Is enough,
IL seems to me, TO excite the admiration OF
any one capable of approaching the useful
and the good. Those accustomed only TO
the use Of orr ordinary American teams can
have little idea of the amount OF labor per-
formed by these horses in Scotland.
sfThe soil there is generally stiff and
heavy beyond that of any well-tilled portion
of the country and could not be cultivated
by our ordinary teams. The Agricultural
machinery In use there Is much heavier, and
might add, in many respects inferior to
ours. Carts instead of wagons are usually
In use on the farms. They, too, ARE much
heavier than our farm wagons and are haul
ed by one horse. --.1tg.
AS TO the relative weight Of the loads
usually hauled there and in this country,
there Is no comparison. Two or three tons
10 single horse is common ioad ip that
country, and four to five tons not unusual.
have counted 30 sacks OF salt, each weigh
ing $50 pounds, on a long; low, heavy, four
wheeled truck drawn by single horse from
the quays on the Clyde up the heavy grade Of
buchanan street, Glasgow, with such ease
that could hardly believe Without examine
ton that tho sacks conh contain anything
h cry tS .has a Syss & ' nSaads
over five tons. -- .vC y
Nor are such loads Unusual, but hundreds
Of similar weights could be seen almost any
day on the streets of Glasgow or other cities
OF Scotland. This, too, Ia NOT an occasional
load for these horses, but the work they per-
form for years. No other horse in the world
could stand up under such work on the hard
granite roads and the limestone pavements
Of that country. The feet of no other breed
have stood or could stand the test.
The screw shaft to several Of the Anchor
Line steamers weigh III to 12tons each.
Tn; The space between we the edge Of
porting the sheds at Finneston quay, Glas-
gov, Is too narrow for more than one horse.
The gelding "Charlie," belonging TO the man
who does much Of the carting for this COM
pany,has several differenttim hauled alone
ono of these shafts, on trucks probably weigh
ing two tons or mole, from the side Of the
little distance, until there was room to at
tach other horses, the pavement stones often
q, crushing under the pressure Of the immense
: weight. But aCharlie,n after years Of This
O and similar work remains as sound, vigorous
and active as on the day he was first har
messed
alt is not alone In the greater strength of
tie Clydesdaie, according to his weight, over
any other breed of horses for heavy draft
work, that his superiority consists, but he
surpasses all others in his ability TO keep up
this strain for a much greater length of time
his reserve nerve force seemingly being
much greater This Is observable not only
in a continuous pull, but also at the close of
severe days work. He keeps up through
the whole day the same prompt, vigorous
and energetic step with which he starts in the
morning, to degree not equaled by any 9TH
er horse. Being stronger bred than any 9TH
IL err draft horse, II would be an anomaly In
breeding were this not 50. Many dung
Z hill could outrun Ten Brock for a'shot dis
lance but this same, dung-hill Is incapable
of coftuiucdexertion, lacking the necessary
nerve force, which can come only from good
breeding, but no less important In the draft
horse than in the trotter or the racer.
another superiority of the Clydesdale
consists In bis greater prepotency in breed
iiIg. Crossed with any other breed Of draft
horses in the world, the Clydesdale charac-
teristics will predominate.l This being
true, no ether evidence would be necessary
TO establish the fact that ,crossed with the or
binary unknown bloods Of our country, the
Clydesdale will produce the safest and most
satisfactory results. Experience and obser-
walton everywhere, where tested, confirm
this. This question of prepotency-the pow
er of transmitting the same qualities and
characteristics--is Of the greatest importance
not only In an individual animal, but also in
breed. .ms.a 7Hrn ~" rs.e5 .-..'
~a ain 1880 the imported Percheron stallion
diligence was brought to New Jersey,
where he was literally patronized. Al
r@ though supported by imported mares of the
same breed, there Is to-day hardly vestige
Of that blood to be found In that State as
result. .a 81 vt" a"laitA s4"'. . FL, ,'aaE
"Tweive years later on the nearest border
of an adjoining State, with no advantages of
climate or location, Rysdyks Hambletonian
commenced his stud services as 2-year-old,
and IL Is no over-estimate TO say that he add
ed to the wealth Of that sectionD hundreds of
thousands, III not millions of dollars. While
az to-day, probably In every State Of the Union
can be found some son, grandson, or great
grandson, or possibly great great grandson,
as sire, and everywhere, no matter how far
removed, his descendants show Hambletoni-
an characteristic marked and unmistakAble.
TaThls ID prepoteney ina Nbfeed. THIS power
the Clydesdale certainly possesses in q great
erdegree than any other Heading breed Of
draft horses on the globe, o quality of the
greatest Importance, and one Which is fast
becoming recognized and appreciated"
Mr.. Powell then illustrated perinently
o how years Of culture and care In selection Of
breeding animals had modified and moulded
the wild boar into the domesticated hog, and
the native cattle Into the improved short
horn, forcibie argument In favor Of pains
taking and intelligent Tbreeiing, with an OBJ
jectiyeview airesd. Agalx he says: @
So on through the whole list of ourdo-
mestic animals. Each Is an exemplifcation
~ Of the force of habit and breeding. BY Sc
lection, through successive generation, of
those animals coming most nearly TO the
forms desired, have been produced the rec
ognized types of our thoroughbreds. The
mora nearly uniform the Characterization have