Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-01-05
JOSEPH BATTELL,
Middlebury, VT.
THE SMALL BREEDER.

THE SMALL BREEDER.
"E. c. r." writes as follows to Clark's
Horse Review: One of the most COM
mon remarks that we hear among our
farmers is, "Horses are gone to the dogs"
and we are compelled to admit that for
certain class of horses this remark seems
true. While this fact may be very de-
pressing TO those who, for the last ten
years, have been breeding anything and
everything in this class of stock, looking
rather for quantity than for quality, to
us it is a matter of great satisfaction.
During the fifteen years that we have
been breeding horses for ourselves, we
have endeavored to breed those with
true merit, not stopping for little extra
cost in the beginning, believing that
good horse will always sell, and that for
enough to pay the cost of raising, and
leave a handsome balance in the hands of
the breeder, and so far in our short ex-
perience we have never been disappoint-
ed, and fully believe that we never shall
be.
Now, what class of horses shall we
and profitable sales? | am fully con-
WINGED that for the ordinary farmer it is
the greatest folly to aim to produce eX-
IRENE speed, and that at the sacrifice of
other essential and necessary points.
While | believe in speed and would not
give a dollar for a breeding animal who
did not possess this quality to certain
degree, would by no means use an ami
mai for breeding purposes whose only
recommendation was its speed. A few
years ago the Vermont farmer who bred
4 horse that could trot a full mile in
three minutes was sure of "a good sale for
him, regardless of all other points. To.
day he must first be an attractive,
SNOWY horse, or no dealer will even ask
you If ne is for sale. If, when in har-
ness, he goes up the road with style and
action enough to attract general atten-
ton, then he will sell just in proportion
to the amount of speed he can show.
A good. plucky roadster, having plenty
of action aud energy, that is able to road
easily on his courage eight or ten miles
an hour, with good conformation and
plenty of beauty, will out-sell by long
odds the dOwn-headed, low-gaited, i'll
built brute that is able to do mile in
2 40 or even 80. There are so many
large stock farms scattered through the
country that are owned by men of
wealth who do not consider the financial
part of the business, but are bound to
ordinary farmer can not hope 20 compete
with them in this line. Therefore, let every
farmer who expects to do a little horse
breeding look we'll to his breeding stock,
remembering that "blood always tells,
that alike begets like or the likeness of
some ancestor" not forgetting the GER
tain rule that the dam has even more in
fiuence over the progeny than the sire.
l would much prefer one good, we'll
bred, nervy brood mare to any number of
common, ill-bred, no-style mares.
As for the particular breed most de-
sirable and certain to raise the particular
qualities from, believe there is nothing
that can surpass our own beautiful Nor
gans. They possess, to greater degree
than any other breed | ever knew,
beauty and fine action, with plenty of
energy and lots of courage, and their in
telligence and gentleness are. I believe,
surpassed only by the human family.
| have one mare myself-sired by Daniel
Lambert, dam by Vermont Black
Hawk--that knows much more than the
ordinary farm help which we are obliged
to hire nowadays.
In conclusion let me say to every
breeder, do not be discouraged by the
present low tide in the business. but
weed out your poorest stock, breed few
er and better mares and then take better
care of the foals, and no branch of stock
raising will pay better in the end.