Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-02-20
FARMERS MEETING AT WEYBRIDGE
Vermont Agricuitute-shecp and Horses
Discussed.

Mr.. c. r. Smith of Wcybrlge read
paper on Vermont Agriculture. He sud;
We are purely an agricultural State.
Neither commerce nor manufacturing viii
ever equal agriculture. The prosperity OF
the farmers i, the prosperity OF tn state.
What to morrow will be rests with farm
ers 1t Is true the outlook Tor tue future j,
not encouraging: we have grown wastefu!
in our habits and lack economy. The sub
iect of producing fine stock can lot be over
looked Should not sell our best rs we are
10 ant to do. our best sheep have gone to
Australia and our COWS to Boston. We can
not keep our reputation always If we con
tinually sell the choicest animals. Horse
breeding both for heavy draft and gentle
men $ drivers should command attention.
The Champlain Valley is adapted TO fruit
raising and more should be done in TINS
line.
MIR. L. c. Ryder a prominent horse
breeder in this section of the State road
paper ON the horses of Vermont, which was
listened to With much interest. lie said
Vermont is the only State that could ever
boast of Hills Black Hawk or an Ethan
Allen. Their equal was never produced III
the world This subject should he discuss
ed at every meeting held in the State by
most profitable animal that can be raised on
the farm and afford, the most pleasure and
satisfaction They will always have Il place
in Vermont agriculture and the supply of
tirst.class drivers has never been equal to
the demand The best horse market in the
world is Boston and New York and we are
near them There is also large foreign
demand for our best stock. Am glad to
say the interest in horse breeding Is steadily
on the increase and we are raising better
class of horses than ever before. We look
for and expect the market Tor such stock
will increase year by year. breeders must
begin at the top TO breed that Is 10 breed
from the very best sires and dams. Life is
too short to begin with poor stock and ever
| hope to become successful bree Ter. Should
know ali about breeding aud rearing.
| Speed is one of the most attractive features
OF the horse, but it is the height of folly
| 10 breed for this alone RoadSters are al
ways i'll demand Beauty should be n lead
ing feature in breeding, a speedy horse
! with no beauty is not attractive, avoid
breeding to unsouni animals it is differ
ent with other animals. Sheep and cattle
may be sent to the shambles if thoy have
! a blemsh, but there is no demand for horse
meat in this country. There is no more
trouble in breeding what you wantin horses
than in any other stock, In and IN breed
Ing may be INDUCED in to "A certain extent,
but it requires good judgment to succeed.
The State should pass n Jaw to prohibit the
use of inferior stations. Tho dam trans
mits 60 per cent of her characteristics to
tue ioGl, therefore the necessity OF obtain
ing well bred mare for breeding purposes
The cry is now for standard bred horse,
but he must be backed up by merit. There
are always men of wealth who stand ready
to pay high prices for fine drivers and the
raising Of stock horses should receive as
much attention from the farmers as any
other animal industry. The Morgan horse
possesses the most intelligence and endur-
ance Of any breed known. They may
| weigh III the barn no more than 300 pounds,
but they seem to increase in weight with
every strap and buckle you put on them.
The Morgan has done much to MAKE tho
American trotting horse what it is.
This meeting, like Williston, was ono OF
the largest in the State. a picnic dinner
was spread in the church parlors at which
some 200 dined each day. Neybriige was
largely represented and representative
farmers from New Haven, Addison, Pan
ton, Middiebury, Cornwall ani other towns
were present and took part in tho discus
sions OF the meeting,