Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-08-31
HORSE BREEDING.
tts Prospects In the Middle Section es ths
Union.
The Breeders Gazette saws:

The Breeders Gazette says:
That there has been marked falling sff In
the demand for stations Of the various draft
breeds during the past few years is the testi-
mony Of all leading importers and breeders.
lmportations have practically ceased and sales
OF pure bred horses-except for those of out
standing merit-have been slow and at a ma
terially lower range of values than were cur.
rent few years ago That service fees should
have fallen TO n low point as a result of the
wide distribution Of entire horses-sood, bad
and indifferent-see the patronage OF
farmers. Is not n matter for surprise, and with
view toward determining what lengi his the
Generalization of rates he'd extended and TO
ascertain also the general feeling in regard 70
the style Of horses most in request this seison
The Gazette put out n short time since n query
calculated to bring out the facts.
Several hundred good farmers and stockmen
In the states OF Illinois. Iowa, Missouri Kan
sas and Nebraska were asked to advise us as to
the kind Of horses most generally patronized
by owners of farm mares this season and TO
indicate the range of service fees. II Is clear
that service fees have fallen to figure where
the stallion keeper has to do some close ngur-
Ing TO pay out" Those who have been Sc
duced into paying big price for a poor horse
are of course in an inevitable position. The
man who pays a long figure for a really tiptop
horse of fine quality and choice breeding will
n
run than he who brings in ''pelter' simply
because lie could buy him cheap and stand him
at a nominal fee.
Big horses with style and quality are still
commanding remunerative prices, as are also
fine drivers, trained saddlers and choice coach
and carriage stock. 1t is the great mass OF
weedy stock-unsound, blemished, poorly built
and undersized horses, devoid of finish and
quality, such as result from ratronizing cheap
mongrel or grade slres-that are drug on the
market.
II we may be allowed to perperrate IAN Irish
bull" the kind of horse most in favor IN many
sections is the mule. Jacks have done a big
seasons work in many counties, and we must
confess shat those who have patronized them
have, generally speaking, shown more sense
than those who have bred good work mares TO
scrubby mongIel or nondescript stud horses.
The jack is a purely bred sire at least, and one
knows just about what IL 10 be expected from
his service, and the mule 10 by no means the
worst selling animal of the day. From the
scrub stations you do not know what will
come. AS between them and the ass the jack
IS to be preferred every time.
A summary of the reports to The Ga
zette would make the stallion fee in the
states named average about $8 The
price ranges all the way from So to $50.
The reports show extremes of mixed
breeding that are enough to drive one
crazy. Horses in some sections have
been nearly ruined by breeding draft
mares to trotters. Many common farm
ers are attempting to get fast trotters.
Not one in twenty succeeds, and flood
of horses no good for anything is poured
upon the community, sending the price
of them down SO low that it does not
just at present pay to breed good
horse in those localities.
In the midst of the confusion few
fixed conclusions can be arrived at. One
is that pure bred, first class draft horses
and carriage horses are always in de-
lnand, and trotters to considerable ex-
Tent, too, if one can be sure they are go
ing to be fast. The Clydesdales, Perch
erons, French coach horses and trotters
are the breeds most popular in the states
indicated. There are also some Shires
and Belgian drafts, with a faint sprin-
king Of thoroughbreds. the Hackney ia
practically unknown. Little attempt il
made to develop breeds of saddle horses