The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-06-01

hoau law WHICH went into eject al
once. Section "A, rebate of tax fol-
using wagon tires of certain width,
provides that: Every person who
during the year ending June l, 1898,
and each succeeding year thereafter,
uses on the public highways of this
state only wagons and vehicles with
wheels upon which two or more
horses are used, the tire of which shall
not be less than three inches in width
shall receive rebate of one half of his
assessed highway tax for each such
year; not exceeding, however, in any
one year the sum of 81 or .our days
labor. The right to such rebate shall
not be affected by the use upon the
public highway of buggies, carriages
or platform wagons carrying weight
not exceeding 1000 pounds.
Nv
Electricity has driven the horse and
mule from the street car track in most
of our large cities, and is fast extend
ing it's field of usefulness. At the last
session of the New York legislature q
bill was passed providing for the
equipment of the Erie canal with the
trolley system, and we may therefore
expect soon to see electricity take the
place of horses for The propulsion of
canal boats. There is no reason to
doubt the success Of the new motor
1t will reduce the cost cooperating the
canal, and therefore cheaper freight
charges. That is good for the public,
but it will further curtail che market
for draft horses and mules, which has
been declining for some years. The
horse breeder must therefore adapt
himself to the changed times and pro-
duce the class of animal still in in
creasing demand. 70.
~
DR.. w. s. Webb, of Vermont, a gen.
tleman who has done as much as any
man in the country to improve the
character of our common stock by
crossing with pure FLOODED
h rses, recognizes the situation
and is trying to establish really
good "all purpose" horse. He tried
the French coacher and the trotter
and has finally come to the conclusion
that the hackney is the best of all the
breeGs to cross with the native stock.
In recent issue of The Hackney, DIR.
Webb says the French coachers are
noted for their docility, endurance
and road powers. They are descended
from the celebrated position horses
used in France on stages prior to the
opening of railroads. They have since
been improved by cross with the
English thoroughbred, and are now
the breed that furnishes the magnifi-
cent coach and carriage horses so
celebrated for their style and actions,
used in the parks of London and
Paris, and fast becoming popular and
commanding high prices in New
ork, Boston and other large cities in
the United States. He also bought
several trotting stations of the high
est breeding, and the female offspring
of French coachers and trotters from
common Vermont mares he is now
mating with the English hackney
and thinks he has "struck OIL" One
thing above all others, he says, that
makes me believe that the hackney
horse is the coming animal for the
farmer to use on his native mare is
that the progeny mature at an
early age.
1 have on my farm 2.year-old
coming 8, we'll broken to harness and
we'll framed, animals that [ could
market at a large price this spring or
next fall. They are large bodied and
weigh from 1000 to 100 pounds; | am
keeping them tor breeding and show
purposes. Now, take farmer with
good native mare, and let him breed
her to q Hackney stallion, which
should be selected according to size
and finish of the mare. The get will
certainly be large, solid animal that
at years can pull pillow or harrow,
or draw farm wagon with a fair
amount of speed and good action.
Nv
Knowing the Hackney horse as |
do, 1 have for many years advocated
its use in the raising of the general
purpose" horse, which is the safest
stamp of animal for the small horse
raiser to handle. AS it's many merits
become known it must increase in
public favor over the whole country,
as it is now doing in the Eastern
states. In the meantime the French
coacher and trotter are the only
breeds available, and they are excel
lent, if good judgment is exercised in
the selection Of the stallion to be used.
1 have had a most satisfactory expert
ence with both breeds this
season. Last year bred one mare to
a magnificent French coach horse be.
longing to Snyder Brothers of George
town and have got one of the largest,
finest formed colts ever saw, carry.
ing every mark of his sire, though the
mare is of strong breeding and gen
orally leaves her imprint on her off
spring. 1 also mated a half breed
Percheron mare with Mr.. Il. A. Bur.
detts trotting horse Hank, and have
got tilly bearing every character
istic of the sire. Though but two
months old, it shows fine trotting
gait, and great speed, alongside of colts
of draft breeding. In selecting trot.
ting sire more attention should
be paid to size and good
form than &c mere speed;
as e record. breaker cannot LIE looked
for from a cold blooded mare, and
even a slow trotter on the track is
fast enough on the road. The horse
that promises most satisfactory re-
turns TO the farmer raising but two or