The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-03-17

crop prospects are BOOu. WIN lne
exception of a few spots in North Tex
as no harm has been done by the cold
snap last week. Small grain is look
ing well, and some farmers are plow
ing corn. There is the finest show
for fruit for many years, and trees
] have passed the critical stage. A
slight frost would not domuch injury
Grass is growing rapidly, but it will
| be some time before it is nourishing
cattle food. Range cattle are in very
poor condition, and many dying from
poverty.
During the past ten years
there has been a steady
and rapid improvement in the
quality of every kind of stock. The
long horn, like the buffalo, has disap-
peared from Central Texas, and its
place is now filled with pure and high
grade Short-horns, Herefords, Polled
Angus, Jersey and other improved
breeds. The razor-back has given
place to the Berkshire, the Poland
China andrthe Jersey Red. The little
why, ewe-necked mustang pony, once
indispensable as a cow hunter, is now
without an occupation, and the mas
sive Percheron or Clydesdale and the
trotter or French coach are his sue
cessors.
The dung-hill chicken which was
good enough for anyone short of a
fancier few years ago, isnow despised
by even the depredating darkey. He
will show preference for the Plymouth
Rock, the Bramah or the Langshan
every time. And SO in every depart
ment OF stockraising there is an inn
provement. This is a healthy sign,
indicating a spread of intelligence
and enterprise, and it brings along
with it its own reward.
Wv
The improvement in the character
of our horses is perhaps more marked
than in any other branch. 1t has
been demonstrated that it is more
profitable to raise the 1909 pound
horse than the 800 pound pony, and
that the matter of $40 extra as service
fee counts for nothing when the value
of the offspring is considered. The
value of one horse might be well worth
$25; while it's near neighbor would be
dear as a gratuity. This is applicable
to the small, common mares of the
country as to those highly bred. The
colt of scrub mare by scrub
horse will be pure bred scrub, and,
under favorable conditions, may some
day be worth 500 A colt from the
same mare by 1irst-class, heavy
horse will, with reasonable care, be
worth 500 as 3-year-old. The diff
ference in value will leave a large
of profit after all expenses
have been paid.
~
The effect of good quality in the
sire was plainly shown at the Snyder
colt show at Georgetown last week.
Premiums amounting to 5000 were Of
fered for the best colts, the pro-
duce of their Percheron horses,
which made the season of
100 in Williamson and Travis
counties. AS l predicted there was a
large exhibit and spirited competi-
ton. The colts were a grand lot and
every one of them bore unmistakable
evidence of the character of their
paternal relatives. Although only
few had received special attention and
grooming, they were all large and
well developed, some of them under
year old, weighing from $50 to 800
pounds. A few of them were accom-
panied by their dams and almost
and weighed as much; thus
demonstrating the proficiency of the
sire.
The premiums were awarded as fol-
ows:
HORSE COLTS.
First-Green Randolph, HuttO.
Second-W. II. Bird, Duval.
Third. A. Fain, Georgetown.
MARE COLTS.
First-E. II. Kennedy, Hutto.
Second-Dick Tisdale. Georgetown.
Third-G. w. Asher, Round Rock.
Xxx
The show attracted big crowd to |
.he city, and horse owners awaited |
themselves of the opportunity to |
show their pets, and some of them |
we're well worth attention. | was |
struck with standard
bred trotter owned by Mr.. n. M. Gay |
Of Round Rock. He is black, 10 l-2 |
hands high, of great bone and muscle
and wonderful action. Although only |
4 3 year old and unframed, he
goes a pace that is evidence of
MS possibilities. His pedigree |
on both sides, is of the highest class, |
and that, coupled with his superior
must make him valu-
able sire, and Williamson county is to |
be congratulated on having such a
morse.
Nv
So many horses are ruined every |
year by barbed wire fences and such |
losses are sustained by the farmers
says p. p. Cole in the Intelligencer-I
hat am induced to give my plan of
building fence. First drive posts |
me rod apart where the fence is |
then put a barbed wire four
eet or little more from the ground; |
Tx inches below the barbed wire put |
. No. 8 plain wire; this wire is close
enough to the barbed wire so calf |
cannot get his head under the barbed |
md slit his ears. Below thet
irst plain wire put another about ?
me foot, and below this another the
iame distance apart; this makes three
)lain yyirps and ono borbnd Ono auJ Y