The Dickinson press., 1885-02-14
Wonderful Progress In Horse Breeding.

The great demand for large work
horses has led to extreme expert.
ments in breeding the small mares of
Western ranges to large Percheron
stations. The results, contrary to
public belief, have proven remarka.
bly, successful. From these mares,
weighing from 700 to 900 pounds,
when bred to imported Percheron
stations, are produced horses that
possess about one-half the united
weight of sire and dam, and while
partaking of the characteristics of
the sire, they lose none of the endur-
ance and hardihood of the dam, SELL
ing readily for from 500 to 5000.
AS the vast herds of the long.
horned, gaunt Texas cattle, worth
from 2 to 3 cents a pound, that ap-
peared on our markets a few years
since, have been improved by the use
OF Short-horn and Hereford bulls I'M
til we scarcely recognize the blood
like looking steers, worth from S to 6
cents pound, now coming from the
range as their descendants; so may
we expect that the useless horses that
are being brought from the West and
Southwest and sold through the states
at from s25 to $50 head, will soon
be displaced in our markets by their
descendants of triple their value be-
ing Of sufficient size to work, and
showing the character and docility of
their sires.
One of the best evidences of the
success of this method Of breeding is
deduced from the fact that NJ. w.
Dunham, of Wayne, ILL.,, the greatest
importer of draft horses in America.
and from whose stables have gone
out nearly all the pure bred Perche-
ron stations now in breeding upon
Western ranges, an who has had the
benefit of the experience of all those
who have been breeding from STALL
ions bought of him during the past
ten years, has engaged in the bust
ness with the Messrs Studebaker, OF
South Bend, Ind, and John A. Witter
of Denver, Col, and invested half !.
million dollars in ranges and stock.
The present year they are breeding
about 1000 mares to 80 OF the finest
imported Percheron stations. Tho
uniformity, beauty and size of the
! colts produced from the range mares
and the imported sires, has attracted
the attention of many of the progress
i've breeders of the West; notably the
Hon. NJ. Il. Post, member of congress,
from Wyoming, who has one of the
finest bands of horses, and probably
one Of the largest and best ranges i'll
that territory, CT insisting of 100000
acres under fence, recently purchased.
During the past year Mr.. Post has
bought from MIR. Dunham Is inn
ported Percheron stations and two
| imported Percheron mares; also, the
Oregon Horse and Land Co., located
OH Snake river and owning 5000
horses, have bought of him large
number of Percheron stations, and
are introducing them exclusively for
breeding Oh their herd. Many other
prominent stock breeders, recognize
ing the superiority of the Percheron
cross, have been liberal purchasers of
Mr. Durham. Among them Poindex-
ter & Orr, Conrad kullns. Mr.. Clark,
Mr.. Maulden, Mr.. Murphy and others
of Montana; Shipman Bros, of North
west Ty.. Mr.. Latimer and Mr.. Nc
Mutt, of Idaho; Mr.. Dean, Of Nevada;
Mr.. Cory, Mr.. Clark and Mr.. Roundy,
of Utah; Mr.. Lot Smith, Mr.. Morti-
son, of Arizona; Mr.. Starkweather
numerous others of Texas: which
shows what powerful hold this sys-
tenn of breeding is taking on the
minds of range breeders. TO supply
his vast trade which penetrates every
portion of the country from the At
lantic to the Pacific, and from Mani
toba to the Gulf, $30OQ,000 worth Of
horses have been imported from
France since 1872 by NJ. w. Dunham,
of Oaklawn Farm, Wavne, DuPage
Co., ILL.,, who now has on hand SUD
head of pedigreed stations and mares.