The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1888-03-02
PROFITABLE HORSES.
The Relative Merits and value of Light and
Heavy Animals.


Heavy Animals.
At the outset every one must stop to
consider what kind of horses he win
raise. The general purpose horse is
a very convenient and useful animal
upon the farm. but he is not wanted
anywhere else, and he is generally a
low-priced horse in the market. We
do business to make money, and the
money return must be our first con-
sideratiOn. We must therefore breed
for definite purpose. What shall it
be?
The present prices of different grades
of horses at the Twenty-fourth street
market in New York City are as fol-
lows: Common street car horses, 1925
to $3.50; best street car horses, $160 to
$175; roadsters. fifteen and a half
hands high, of good quality, $3.50;
rOadsters of extra quality, and capable
of trOtting in three minutes, $500 to
$500; coupe horses, from 1915 to $500;
coachers, from $500 to 81, POO per pair.
with higher prices for great excellence;
express horses, weighing l 300 pounds,
$3.50 to 1915; truck horses weighing
l, 400 pounds and upward, 1875 to $500
each, with those of extra size and
quality, from $3.50 70 $500 each. We
can study these figures with advantage.
1t does not pay any one to raise
horses of the street car class, and when
electricity is generally used for street
car propulsion, these horses will have
almost no market whatever. How I'M
certain is the breeding of the roadster
class. All the others are large sized
horses. Coachers are high-priced when
of good quality, but it is difficult to
get them good enough. They must
have fine heads and good necks
well put on, and high knee action, and
a lofty carriage of the tail, and their
color must be good. Then much time
and expense are necessary to get them
shaped up properly. The truck
horse commands nearly as high an av-
erage price as does the coacher. and
his value is not affected by big head
or a little one, and but little by his
neck whether it is long or short. He
can carry his tail where and as he
pleases, and it matters little what his
color is. In other words, there are
five or more blanks in raising coachers
to one in draft horses. The new French
| coachers and the Cleveland bays are
magnificent and [ wish there were
more of them, but we are now looking
only for money.
In breeding draft horses from any
but pure-bred mares there will of
course be difference in the size and
| action of the progeny. Fortunately
all these drop into good classes. IF
not heavy enough for draft purposes
they command good prices from the
express companies, while the best in
style and action make excellent coupe
horses. The very lightest are well
tinted for the increasingly popular
hanson.
Colonel Ravenhill, who examined
American horses with a view to their
| purchase for the English army, stated
| in his report that our horses are only
suited for the lightest mounts, while
the horses large enough for artillery
service and for use in the cOmmissary
! department can not be found here in
| sufficient numbers to warrant any
/ reliance to be placed upon
them. There can be no question but
that this correctly represents the infer
ior size of our average horses. Similar
| statements are given in the reports
made to the French and German Gov
ernments by their officers who made
| examinations here. We thus have adj
! ditional reasons for breeding and feed
| ing for greater size.
The figures L have given were OBJ
/ tanned from the largest dealer in New
York, and this important statement
was added, that draft horses can al
ways be sold for ready cash, while
! cOachers, roadsters, ETC.. often eat off
good part of their heads in finding
buyers. We therefore conclude from
the foregoing that our farmers will find
much greater profit in breeding heavy
horses than can be expected from those
/ of any other character.
1t is not our purpose to enter into
the consideration of the relative merits
of the various large breeds, or to indi-
cate whether Normans, Clydes or
Shires will give the greatest profits
from their colts. We will content our
selves with the statement that sound
ness of feet, observation-disclosures quietness
of disposition and rapidity of walk are
prime considerations, and are here
named in the order of their Importance.
The breed that possesses these qualities
in the greatest degree should be pre-
ferred.-James Wood, an Farm and
Home.