The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-01-22
DRAFT HORSES.
Editors of the Green Bay Adcocate.,

Editors of the Green Bay Adrocate:
While farmers are selling grain for less
than cost of production at the expense OF
the fertility of the soil, it may be well to
look about for some means of feeding
ont the farm products at home. and keep
the manure ON the land. Prof. Henry OF
our State University, says: Growing
wheat Is low kind of farming. 1t re-
quires about the ability of section hand
on a railroad to grow spring wheat" He
might have added that low form of in
dustry is usually but poorly paid.
The price of draft horses has not seri
ously declined and is not likely so to do
for some time to ccme. because there is
scarcity of them at all the great centres
where they are grown. Go to Blooming
ton, Ottawa, Canton or Wayne, ILL.,, or
to Waverly, Waterloo or Independence,
Iowa. and inquire for a pair of heavy
geldinQs, seven or eight years old, and
you will not readily find them because
nearly all have been picked up by deal
ers, when they were colts. In fact Illinois
and Iowa are twenty years ahead of Wis
consin in horse raising. To-day any
Brown County farmer who has a good,
sound horse that weighs 400 lbs. or
more, can easily turn him into cash, and
If the horse weighs 1000 lbs, lie gets
still better price. Brown county has a
steady and reliable market for heavy
horses at her very door. Hundreds are
bought every season in Chicago and
shipped past us to the pineries aud mines
of the North. Yet every lumberman will
tell you that Southern horses, fed largely
o;alyl lx-
during their first winter in the woods.
Those raised here on our pure water,
sweet grasses, hay and oats are more
hardy and powerful aud will sell for more
money. Corn lays on fat but hay and
oats give the tough sinews and muscles
Lumbermen now demand much heavier
teams than formerly. A few years sgo
two miles were considered long distance
to haul logs, and 1900 lb horses we're
largely used but now we notice in the
newspapers that baus of six, eight. ten
anu even fourteen miles are made. Enor
nous loads are the order of the day, be-
cause the wages of the drivers are the
same aud the expense of feeding the team
is not much more than for light one
This is the reason why horses of medium
weight are no longer found in the piner
les; they may stand heavy work for a
day or week but not for whole season
There ls an erroneous impression
among our farmers that small mare,
bred to large horse, can not deliver her
foal. This is evidently an error, as the
foal at birth is propertionate to size of
the dam and not of the horse. A little
inquiry among those who have tried it
will confirm this statement. 10 get the
best results Immediately, the farmer had
best to so where they are to be found and
buy buy high grade mares. Mr.. Thomas
Wishart, of Depere; Nick Smith, of
WrigEtstowp, and few others have al
ready had the enterprise and intelligence
to do SO. The farmer should buy mares
with short legs aud large bone. Use the
tape line below the knee and below the
hook.
In France colts are broken and given
light work when two years old. The
French study economy and make the two
year old earn his living. With intel
igence and kindness tie colt is not
harmed. When he reaches maturity and
will bring the highest price, he is sold
for heavier work.
Our farmers usually prefer light horses
for farm work. Has not the time come
when some of them sheuld change, es
pecially those who work heavy noil 2
Would they not get better crops by plow.
ing deeper and get along faster by cut
ting a wider furrow? is it not better to
use animals that can be turned into cash,
Oh short notice.
In choosing heavy mare slow walk
er should be avoided. There are plenty |
of them that have q quick step which are
far more valuable for work and for
breeding.
Avoid the long legged mares that have
formerly been SO largely sold in this
county. They are not strong or hardy. |
BY crossing with better horses these long |
legs eau be shortened brt it takes time &;
perhaps two or three generations pass
before the colts get into good draft form
Cold bloc led maresO the common mares |
Of the country are more apt to breed
after the draft stallion than mares with |
trotting blood. The latter had best b
bred to trotting stations. The reason i
plain. Trotting stock has been in bred |
SO long that it has the power of getting |
stock like itself Pure bred draft stock |
has the same power. When they are
crossed neither seems disposed to yield |
to the other bnt stands up to fight forts |
kind, while the ''dung hill stoc's readily |
yields to either
The more draft horses we have in
Brown county the better price they will
bring We can not get the best price,
until buyers can go about the county and |
pick up car load of draft horses in two |
or three days. When we have plenty OF |
good horses we shall have plenty of buy |
rrs for there is hardly limit to the de
mand. r. B. X.