Ellsworth American., 1883-07-05
4arm aas 6easebola.
The Horse Outlook.


Maine Farmer.l
There is a continued demand for good
horses. demand which we have no doubt
will stimulate breeding by the farmers, and
the call is for that class of animals which the
farmer can always breed with safety. In
breeding to supply the market, the farmer of
course, does not consider what horse would
be the best for his own use, but what vii
bring the most, and pay the greatest per
cent. of profit. The farmers as a class.
have pretty generally settled the question for
themselves, that ii is not best for them to
breed expressly for speed. The development
of speed in the horse as to secure good
results, is entirely foreign TO the business of
ordinary farming, and past experience has
very strongly impressed this fact upon many.
When farmer pays hundred dollars for
the service of stallion, and gets colt that
will not bring that sum when old enough to
be broken 10 harness, he does not need TO
be told that he has made a bad investment
and cases like this were by no means
uncommon few years ago.
At the present time, the call is for largsf
horses, and it so happens that tie demand
is for that class of apii.s.a,aais which farmers
vii md it for their advantage to breed for
their own use on the farm. A few Years ago
the great craze was for >. 40 trottng horses,
and the result was very damaging 10 the
horse interest of the State in the production
of small animals of no speed, and entirely
unsuited TO the wants of the country. 4 few
fast horses were produced, but the per cent
of the whole was very small, and these gave
no profit until they had passed from the
ownership of the farmer and into the hands
of the professional horseman The demand
for large horses is general that farmers
III many parts OF the country are giving
their attention TO breeding by crossing either
with the Clydesdale. or with the Norman
Percheron. Large importations of both
these breeds are being annually made, and
the demand seems TO be constantly ahead
of the supply. The large English draught-
horse is also in great favor IN some localities.
This animal quite closely resembles the
Clydesdale or Scotch horse, .hough the latter
has somewhat more hardened and enduring
appearance.
The Percherons which come TO us from
Norman France, are about as large as the
Clydesdales and English breeds, but they are
cleaner limbed, more active anc therefore
better roadsters. Either of the above breeds
crossed with our Maine bred horses, would
increase their size and render them more
saable as well as more valuable for farm
use. The introduction of large sires of
either of the breeds above named for
breeding 10 our small mares, would improve
our stock in the direction of the present
popular demand. We do not want the
largest sized animals, such as are found the
most profitable in the old country at any
rate, not at present. Our system vet calls
for faster moving and lighter weight ami
mails, even for heavy draught, and one that
will weigh from 400 to 1900 pounds is
about as large as is profitable. The advan-
tage of using only good sire is too well
understood to need any argument. 1t costs
no more to keep him than it does a poor
one. and the chances for profit are so much
better, in view of the demand for frst-class
heavy animals, that there is no chance for
discussion. Good sized roadsters and work
horses, with no pretensions to speed are
hr,r
dollars, and even more, and at these prices
horse breeding must be reckoned among our
well-paying farm industries.