The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1889-10-04
HORSE BREEDING IN NEW YORK,

a Valuable Lecture on Horse Breed.
ing in Now York. Delivered at
tho Syracuse and Albion
Farmers Institute.
By JAS. WOOD, OF WESTCTESTER CO..
The first question with farmers in the
Eastern States now Is, 'tIIow can we
successfully compete with the great
West?" On tic long-cstablished theory
that the value of land is in proportion
to tho population, we cannot abandon
our farms, and we must stoutly resist
the tendency TO destroy their value
which the unexampled productions Of
tho virgin soils Of our newly peopled
States, ana tic unprecedented cheap
ness Of their transportation to our mar
kets, so persistently encourage. We can
no longer rear and fatten a bullock
without %pccuniary loss. What is left
TO us? Our orchards and vineyards
still yield us fair profits, but we cannot
devote ~ whole farms to apples, pears,
peaches and grapes. Our dairy products
hold the first rank for their quality, but
great regions of the Northwest give us
impressive warning that wo cannot long
maintain this. We find an encouraging
RnsMer TO our inquiry, IN part at least,
in the fact that the soils and the eli
mate OF our State are admirably suited
TO raising horses. We lind still further
encouragement in the fact that q horse
raised in the State Of New York Is
worth more i'll orr city markets than is
j similar animal reared anywhere in
three. quarters Of our Western States.
AS horses reared upon tho rich pastures
Of Holland and Belgium cannot COM
pare in stamina and soundness with
those raised upon the hitler and harder
soils Of Northern France, and the horses
Of the fens of Lincolnshire and its al.
Joining counties, in England, are ''sOft''
when tested beside those from dry up
lands and Well-turfed hills, so the horses
deficient IN endurance and defective in
their feet. when compared with horses
reared here.
Other important considerations give
us still further encouragement. The
demand FOR horses is constantly increas-
Ing. Europe cannot supply her own
~ needs. .Great,J}ritliA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
2U,Oo0 from other counties. The i'm
mcnse armies of the continent are
making al ever. increasing demand. and
If the threatened war cloud bursts, the
destruction Of horses will be 50 great
that this demand will be beyond the
possibility Of supply. 1t is freely an
nOunced in Europe that America can
meet these demands. Competent Of
ilcers from the German, French and
English armies, lave made extensive
examinations in tllis country as to our
equine resources, and have made very
full reports to their respective govern
ments. Even III times Of peace they are
drawing upon us. The writer SAW, hot
very long since, 4 regiment OF cavalry
Stationed ~ Dion, in France, mounted
entirely upon American mares.
Tie demands OF our home markets
are constantly increasing. In New
York city alone ID, 900 horses die every
year, and as many more become lame,
or are otherwise disabled, and are sent
into the country, from which they never
return. Increasing business makes in
creasing demands; ana while the sub
stitution OF electricity for llorse-pow
upon The street railways, will doubtless.
III the near future, injure the market
for inferior orl,ses, yet the requirements
OF new Industries will more than coun-
tcrbalancc this; but, probably, in supo
iior grades. 1t is, therefore, quite eyi-
dent that our farmers can 6 We their
attention to and invest their capital in
This Important industry. with Il reason.
able certainty Of finding q ready sale for
its products.
Besides the promise of p%ecuniary re-
ward thus held out, there many
attractions found in such enter
prise5. There is a peculiar i'll
terest in The growth Of domestic ami
mails, and this interest increases in pro-
portion as skill is required and intelll-
gelce Is exercised III their breeding ana
deyelopm, lit. BY tile side of this.
grain.growing is but drudgery. Again,
III retiring animals, the fertility Of our
land is not exhausted as 1t Is by selling
grain and other products.
AZ The outset every one must stop to
consider what kind Of horses he will
raise. The general purpose horse" is
q very convenient and useful animal
upon the farm, but lie is not wanted
anywhere else, and he is generally |,
low priced horse in the market. we
do business to make money, and the
money return must be Il first consid-
Grafton. We must, therefore, breed fol-
n definite purpose. What shall it be?
Our country has achieved distinction
In the production Of two remarkable
animais-and only two. These are the
American MerinO sheep and the Ameri.
q troLtlng horse. The latter is UNIQUE.
lie Is rs distinct from, as liz is superior
10 any similar horse sin the world. A
chance product lo may have been orig.
inally, since 10 one knew the peculiar
value OF tile great Messenger when lie
was brought across the Atlantic; MOI
how his blood would "nick'' in crossing
with others, nor how the bringing to.
getiler In after generations Of different
strains Of his get would produce sucr
marvellous results. But all this has
now been demonstrated, and the world
looks on iii amazemcnt as second after
s-cOlid is reduced fiom tile record,